


A Mad Man, A Welsh Star and A Blue Box – The Harold Saxon Arc

by StrikeMoonstone9387



Series: The Mad Man and The Welsh Star [6]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Chosen Ones of the Mara, Female Ianto Jones, Gen, Recovering Memories, Season/Series 03, Soul Bond, Time Lady Seren
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2019-07-25 19:14:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 101,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16203911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrikeMoonstone9387/pseuds/StrikeMoonstone9387
Summary: The Doctor, Seren and Siwan return to their travels following another chaotic Christmas filled with yet another invasion and a close call with death by all three. On their very first adventure, they meet a young, pretty medical student, Martha Jones, who joins them on their adventures. Adam also joins the crew on a part-time basis, splitting his time between his job on Earth and traveling with his beloved.Along the way, they try to heal and move on from losing Jackie, Mickey and Rose to the Parallel Universe and Johnny to the Cybermen during the Battle of Canary Wharf. Amidst all this, they are reunited with a former Companion whom they believed to have remained in 200100. A Companion who had been changed in a remarkable and heart-wrenching manner because of Bad Wolf’s act of love.





	1. Prologue

** Prologue **

In July of 2007, the Doctor, Seren and Siwan lost Jackie, Rose and Mickey to the Parallel Universe and Rhiannon lost Johnny to the Cybermen. At Christmas that year, the Doctor, Seren and Siwan met Donna who helped them face and defeat the Racnoss, also saving them from drowning to a final death.

The trio resume their adventures and their running, meeting and joined by medical student, Martha Jones, and occasionally Immortal Methos, currently known as Adam Pierson.

What kinds of adventures will they have? How will Seren feel to her Bond with the Doctor slowly reasserting itself? How will the Doctor handle the Bond reasserting itself now that Seren and Astraea, the two aspects of his beloved, have truly merged once more? What will happen when a lie the Doctor told Seren so long ago comes back to face them? And who is ‘Mr. Saxon’ and how does he play into everything?


	2. Smith, Smith, Jones and Jones

_Note: Within the series, it’s April 28, 2008._

_Seren will now be written as Astraea while Siwan will be written as Aludra, their human names only used as aliases like the Doctor uses ‘John Smith’._

**Smith, Smith, Jones and Jones**

Martha Jones, a young, pretty dark-skinned woman, walked through the crowds on Chancellor Street, heading towards Royal Hope Hospital where she worked as a medical student. The April sun was shining and bathing the people below in the warm, gentle rays, the effect heightened by the sky overhead being completely clear of any clouds.

Martha slimed softly to herself as a gentle breeze ruffled through her tied back hair, bringing with it a rather good feeling about the day.

The feeling lasted until her mobile rang and she sighed, pulling it out and glancing at the caller ID – her younger sister, Tish.

“You’re up early.” Martha exclaimed with a bright grin, pleasantly surprised that her sister was actually up before noon. “What’s happening?”

 _“It's a_ nightmare _.”_ Tish said, not even bothering with the pleasantries. _“’Cos Dad won't listen, and I'm telling you, Mum is going mental. Swear to God, Martha, this is_ epic _. You've gotta get in there and stop him.”_

“How do I do that?” Martha asked, rolling her eyes exasperatedly.

She knew what Tish was complaining about – Annalise. The woman their father left their mother for. She was thin, blonde, and vain, and everyone _but_ Clive Jones could see that she was just a gold digger. The man was too blinded in her plastic beauty to see that she wasn’t good for him and that she was just taking advantage of him.

 _“Tell Dad he can’t bring her!”_ Tish exclaimed.

Every time Francine Jones and Annalise met, they would always resort to having a blazing row. No matter what the occasion was, the two always fought and ended up making the things awkward and far less cheerful for everyone.

Before Martha could respond, her mobile beeped with an incoming call.

“Hold on.” She said, looking at the caller ID before putting the mobile back to her ear. “That’s Leo. I’ll call you back.”

Answering Leo’s call, she was greeted by the sound of her younger brother’s voice.

 _“Martha, if Mum and Dad start to kick off, tell them I don’t even want a party_ .” Leo said without preamble. _“I didn’t even ask for one. They can always give me the money instead.”_

“Yeah, but why do _I_ have to tell them?” Martha asked, smiling sadly at her brother’s remark. She knew that he would love to have a party to celebrate his birthday, one that was just family. “Why can't you?” Her mobile beeped again with an incoming call. Glancing at the caller ID, she out the mobile back to her ear. “Hold on, that’s Mum. I’ll call you back.”

Answering her mother’s call, she was greeted by her mother’s stern voice.

 _“I don't mind your father making a fool of himself in private, but this is Leo's 21_ _st_ _.”_ Francine began _. “Everyone is going to be there, and the entire family is going to look ridiculous.”_

“Mum, it’s a party!” Martha said with an exasperated sigh, though she couldn’t blame the older woman for being somewhat bitter. To lose your husband in such a way was devastating to anyone. It was why Martha had privately sworn to herself that she would _never_ be the other woman. It didn’t matter if all the other men on the planet were taken, she would never go after another woman’s boyfriend, fiancé, husband – anyone. After seeing what such an action had caused her family, she didn’t believe it would be right or fair, not for her and not for the other woman who would be left behind. “I can’t stop Dad from bringing his girlfriend.” Her mobile beeped again with the alert of another incoming call. “Hold on, that’s Dad. I’ll call you back.”

Switching lines, she was greeted by her father’s deep voice.

 _“Martha?”_ Clive called as soon as she’s answered. _“Now, tell your mother, Leo is my son,_ and _I'm paying for half that party. I'm entitled to bring who I like.”_

“I know.” Martha said, trying to be diplomatic as she tried to get her father to see their perspective, again. “But think what it’s going to look like for Mum, if you’re standing there with Annalise.”

As the oldest of the Jones siblings, she was the one that always ended up being the mediator between the warring factions of her family. There were times where she was glad that she and her siblings were grown adults – they weren’t able to be used as leverage or bargaining chips in their parent’s ever-growing and never-ending feud.

 _“What’s wrong with Annalise?”_ Clive asked defensively.

Martha sighed, hearing the defensive tone in her father’s voice.

 _“Is that Martha?”_ A slightly airheaded voice called from the background before getting closer. _“Say hi. Hi, Martha, hi!”_

“Hi, Annalise!” Martha replied with forced cheer.

 _“Big kiss! Lots of love! See you at the party, Babes.”_ Annalise said in quick succession before adding with a giggle, _“Now take me shopping, big boy.”_

Martha shuddered, her eyes going wide as she hurriedly ended the call. The last thing she wanted to hear was her father and his girlfriend _together_. She closed the mobile and tucked it back in her purse, shaking her head in mild disgust. She stopped short abruptly when a tall, handsome man in a brown suit and a long tan overcoat stepped in front of her, by his side was a beautiful petite woman with long hair, dressed in an amethyst and gold lehenga with a small amethyst coloured leaf bindi in between her delicately arched eyebrows.

“Like so!” The man said cheerfully, pulling off his tie and holding it up. “See?”

“And like this.” The woman said brightly in a lilting Welsh accent, removing a small gold hoop earring from her ear and handing it to the bewildered medical student. “Put it in your red leather jacket because I do want it back. It’s one of my favourite earrings.”

The man and the woman smiled brightly at her before turning and walking off, arm-in-arm – the woman walking with the grace of a dancer. Martha watched them go, completely bewildered, before looking back at the earring in her hand. She shrugged and tucked it into her purse, resuming her walk to the hospital.

She had only gone a few steps when she found her attention caught by the young woman she had just encountered, although this time she was dressed in a black and aquamarine lehenga. The woman was leaning against a wall, fiddling with a pendant that hung low on a fine chain around her neck, and when she noticed Martha looking at her, she winked.

“Benjamin Franklin.” The woman said in the same lilting Welsh accent as before, smiling brightly before pushing off the wall and walking away in graceful movements that resembled a dancer.

Martha shook her head, wondering what the encounter was all about, before shrugging it off and resuming her trek to the hospital once again.

~*~

Astraea sat in a chair beside her fiancé’s hospital bed at Royal Hope Hospital, reminiscing about led them to the hospital in the first place. The Doctor pondered the same, sitting upright and leaning against his pillows with the covers pulled up to his waist, holding her hand in his and playing with her engagement ring that rested proudly on her left ring finger.

After dropping Donna home, the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra had spent the Christmas holiday with Rhiannon, Adam, David and Mica, just as they told the redhead they would. They had arrived just as Rhiannon was setting the table with the delicious meal and after wholeheartedly enjoying the food, they exchanged presents amid laughter tinged with sorrow for those missing. The presents that they had passed around clearly reflected the sorrow and fear of loss that was still ever present, particularly evidenced by the gifts that had been given to Rhiannon and Adam, as well as the kids.

The newly engaged couple had given both Mica and David a simple gold bracelet* with their names engraved on them, to be worn at all times. The bracelets themselves were simple and seemingly ordinary, however they allowed the adults to know exactly where the children were at any given time as well as their physical, emotional and mental conditions. The data from the bracelets would go directly to the new 2018 Samsung Galaxy S9 mobiles that Rhiannon and Adam had received from the couple – silver and rose-gold respectively – as well as Astraea and Aludra's mobiles and the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver.

The Doctor and Astraea also had the same monitoring features (though slightly less specific considering what they experience on their travels) imbedded into the wrist watch and Perception Filter ring respectively that would go to the mobiles and sonic screwdriver. Aludra had the features as well, imbedded into an antique heart-shaped pendant necklace* that Adam had gifted her with as her Christmas present Rhiannon had them imbedded in her wedding ring and Adam’s were in his wrist watch that Aludra had gifted him with a few years earlier.

After David and Mica had gone off to sleep, the three time travellers told Adam and Rhiannon about what had occurred since they had left Cardiff to say goodbye to Rose – from actually saying goodbye and passing on the words of love to the entire encounter with Donna, including why she had refused to travel with them, and the proposal in the elevator. At Rhiannon’s inquiry of when they wanted to get married, the couple decided to wait until _after_ their Soul Bond was fully re-established before considering the possibility of having a human ceremony. They both reassured Rhiannon that they definitely wanted a human ceremony, though for slightly different reasons – the Doctor because he had always loved the Earth and all its customs and Astraea because she had spent over 20 years _as_ a human when she had been reincarnated.

During the holiday, the entire family went on a trip to witness the birth of a star where Adam and Aludra swore their Bonding Vows to each other, already having the blessings of those they considered family. Once they returned to Earth, Adam went back to London with Aludra so that they could return to work – Aludra going so that she could get updated on what she had missed and make new arrangements regarding how she would work and travel simultaneously, not wanting to entirely give up the job she had worked so hard for. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Astraea went on to have a few trips on their own, celebrating their newly engaged status – which more often than not ended with them staying _in_ the TARDIS wherever they had landed.

They had returned to Earth, in London, the previous day and had just been walking past the hospital when they noticed plasma coils around the building. Curiosity getting the better of him, the Doctor had Astraea admit him as a patient with her as his wife before calling Aludra and updating her on what had happened. Once he had been admitted, the two of them ended up spending the night in the hospital ward with Aludra visiting and teasing the Time Lord light-heartedly for a short while before leaving.

Astraea was drawn out of her thoughts when the curtain was pulled back and Mr. Stoker, the head of the hospital, came into view with a group of young medical students.

“Now, then Mr. Smith, a very good morning to you.” The elderly man said with a professional smile. “How are you today?”

“Oh, not so bad.” The Doctor, going by the name John Smith, said cheerfully, still holding Astraea’s hand in his own and clad in the hospital issued pyjamas, his hair in a spiky disarray. “Still a bit, you know… bleah.”

“He’s still complaining of stomach pains.” Astraea said, looking up at the man with an appropriately worried expression on her face.

She herself was dressed in a light pink sari with a matching light pink short-sleeved blouse. She had a pair of small silver hoop earrings in her ears, a matching pearl and silver necklace around her neck and a few silver bangles on her right wrist* with her engagement ring on her left ring finger and the Perception Filter ring doubling as the wedding band to suit their cover. She had a small, matching light pink leaf bindi* in between her eyebrows and her face was clear of any makeup save for a light dusting of powder and a single line of black kohl lining her waterline. Her long raven blue-black hair was tied back in a loose 3-strand braid that was thrown over her right shoulder, the bottom half interwoven and tied off with a matching light pink ribbon. On her feet were a pair of nude-coloured 5” high heeled sandals*. Her light pink drawstring bag* was hanging on the corner of the bed frame.

Since Christmas when she had resumed using her past-self’s name while travelling much like Aludra had, Astraea had decided to resume sporting the style she had in her past life as well. So, her wardrobe consisted of various styles of saris and lehengas or Gallifreyan style dresses, with matching bindis that she would wear on her forehead.

Funnily enough, when she had looked through the Wardrobe and came across some of the Gallifreyan dresses she used to wear, they reminded her a lot of a blend of Earth medieval period clothing and what many popular films interpreted as elven clothing.

“John Smith, admitted yesterday by his wife, Seren Smith, with severe abdominal pains.” Stoker informed the students. “Jones,” he turned to the pretty dark-skinned student beside him. “Why don’t you see what you can find? Amaze me.”

The medical student, Jones, nodded, taking her stethoscope from her pocket and stepping around the bed to his other side. Astraea stood up from the chair and stepped back, standing by the head of the bed to give the younger woman room, her fingers still interlocked with the Doctor’s.

“That wasn’t very clever, running around outside, was it?” Jones asked, hooking her stethoscope around her neck.

“Sorry?” The Doctor asked, looking at her completely confused.

“Chancellor Street, this morning.” Jones explained. “You and your wife came up to me, you took your tie off and Mrs. Smith, you removed your gold earring and told me to put it in my red leather jacket.”

“Really?” The Doctor asked, exchanging looks with Astraea before turning back to the pretty med-student. “What’d we do that for?”

“I dunno.” Jones replied, shaking her head. “You both just did.”

“Not either of us.” The Doctor denied, looking completely baffled. “Seren’s wearing _silver_ earrings and we were both here, in bed.” His eyes widened as he realized what he said. “We weren’t _both_ in bed, _I_ was in bed and she was right beside me. No! I meant…”

“We know what you meant, _Annwyl_.” Astraea said soothingly, giggling lightly at his flustered expression and patting his shoulder lightly.

“Ask the nurses if you don’t believe me.” He added, trying to slow his hearts down.

With their Soul Bond slowly re-establishing itself, the emotions and desires were heightened, especially with Astraea’s memories returning as well. However, they had to be careful not to go any further than extremely heavy make-sessions until Astraea was truly ready, if they went too fast then they could destroy the Soul Bond instead of re-establishing and solidifying it.

“Well, that’s weird.” Jones commented, lowering the stethoscope as she looked at the couple, absently noticing that Astraea really was wearing silver earrings. “’Cos they looked like the two of you. Have you got any siblings?”

“No, not anymore.” The Doctor replied sadly, shaking his head. Astraea squeezed his hand reassuringly, feeling the loss of their loved ones just as keenly. “Just us, Seren’s twin and older sister plus the kids - our own patchwork family.”

“As time passes and I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones.” Stoker cut in imperiously.

“Sorry...” Jones said sheepishly. “Right.”

She pressed the stethoscope against the left side of the Doctor’s chest, not seeing him and Astraea exchange small smiles. She frowned, hearing something strange and moved the stethoscope to the right side of his chest. Her eyes widened slightly when she heard same rhythm again. She looked at him, completely stunned, and he winked cheekily at her and smiled secretively.

“I weep for future generations.” Stoker said with an exasperated sigh. “Are you having trouble locating the heart Miss. Jones?”

“Erm, I don’t know.” Jones said, flustered from what she had just learned. “Stomach cramps?”

“That is a _symptom_ , not a _diagnosis_. And you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient’s chart.” Stoker said, shaking his head.

He moved around the bed and picked up the Doctor’s patient chart. He touched the metal clip holding the chart to the board and, getting an electric shock, he dropped the chart instinctively onto the bed.

“That happened to me this morning.” Jones commented.

“I had the same thing on the door handle.” Morgenstern added.

“And me, on the lift.” Swales piped up.

“That's only to be expected.” Stoker said dismissively, picking the chart up once more. “There's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity, as was first proven by…” he faltered, not entirely certain who it was and tried to cover it with a test by adding, “Anyone?”

“Benjamin Franklin.” The Doctor replied, not missing a beat.

“Correct.” Stoker said, looking impressed.

“My mate, Ben.” The Doctor said with a reminiscent sigh. “That was a day and a half, I got rope burns off that kite!”

“And then you got soaked.” Astraea added, looking at him with an expression of fond exasperation.

“Quite.” Stoker said slowly, not entirely sure what to make of the couple.

“And then he got electrocuted.” Another voice said in a lilting Welsh accent from behind the small group. The owner of the voice, a beautiful young woman who looked identical to Astraea except for the colour of her eyes, moved around the group and stepped up towards the bed, a bowl of purple grapes in her hands. “Twice!” She reached down and pecked the Doctor on the cheek before straightening up and looking at her ‘twin’. “Hey Seren.”

She was dressed in a smart skirt suit with a short-sleeved sapphire blue blouse tucked into a black thigh-length pencil skirt*, the matching black blazer folded neatly over her arm. Hanging from her shoulder was a sleek, black purse* and on her feet were a pair of black 5” high heeled pumps. Her long hair was tied up in her usual French twist, though a few strands were framing her face gently.

“This is my twin sister, Dr. Siwan Jones.” Astraea introduced the sapphire-eyed Welshwoman who smiled at the group. “Everything sorted?”

“Yup.” Aludra replied cheerfully before turning back to the Doctor, an appropriately concerned expression on her face. “How are you feeling, John?”

“A bit better, still a bit… bleah.” He replied, smiling cheerfully and repeating what he had told Stoker.

“He did complain of stomach pains this morning though.” Astraea added.

“That’s what comes from trying to eat anything Seren makes that is not breakfast food.” Aludra said, rolling her eyes exasperatedly.

“I was trying to be supportive to my wife.” The Doctor said defensively. “The woman I love.”

“Hey, I love Adam and I support him wholeheartedly, but I’m not about to eat anything that he cooks.” Aludra retorted, perching on the side of the bed and nibbling on a grape. “Seriously, the guy managed to blow up eggs!”

The Doctor deflated and began to pout, wondering how in the world he had agreed to _that_ being their cover story, no matter how true it was - he often did try to eat the food Astraea made, on the rare occasions she tried to cook something other than breakfast foods, though it almost always ended with him having to wash it away with _a lot_ of water while being eternally grateful to his Time Lord Physiology that kept him from getting food poisoning 9 times out of 10.

Astraea seeing his expression smiled and sat next to him, leaning over and kissing him lightly.

“Oh, _Annwyl_ , I love you for trying to be supportive.” She said, pecking him lightly again before pulling back.

The Doctor smiled brightly at her and wrapped his arms around her waist as she leaned against his shoulder.

Aludra giggled lightly at them and turned to Stoker, seeing the man looking at her as though she was insane.

“Mary down at Reception said it was all right to come up and visit.” She said with an almost angelic smile. “I hope I’m not in your way?”

“Not at all.” Stoker said, glancing at the couple who now seemed completely oblivious to their surroundings, just holding each other and talking quietly. “I think we’re finished here.” He turned and began leading his students to the next bed. “I think perhaps a visit from Psychiatric for Mr. Smith.” He added in an undertone to an orderly, causing Aludra to wince sympathetically. “And next, we have Mr…”

Jones, at the back of the group, glanced at the three over her shoulder, trying to be unobtrusive. Unfortunately, the smirk on Aludra’s face told her that she wasn’t quite so lucky.

“I hope you’re happy, Ada.” Aludra said, turning back to the Doctor and drawing his and Astraea’s attention to her. “He wants you to have a psych-eval.”

“Must be a Thursday.” The Doctor commented, shrugging lightly. “I could never get the hang of Thursdays.”

“Well, let’s go explore.” Astraea said with a grin, getting off the bed and grabbing her purse, hanging it off her wrist.

“You’re staying in the pyjamas, Ada.” Aludra said, seeing the Doctor reaching for his suit. “If any of the staff ask, you and Nana can say you’re just going for a walk.”

“Fine.” He said with a sigh as Astraea helped him into the dressing down. “You staying?”

“Yeah. You two go ahead.” Aludra replied, removing her heels and making herself comfortable on the bed.

“Okay.” The Doctor said with a grin, turning to Astraea and holding his elbow out to her. “Shall we, my wife?” A dreamy expression crossed his face. “I love saying that. I can’t wait until it can once again be for real.”

“We shall, my husband.” Astraea replied with a bright smile, looping her arm through his crooked elbow. She reached up and kissed him lightly before pulling back. “And I can’t wait until then either.” She turned to Aludra, “Be careful and keep your eyes peeled.”

“’Kay.” Aludra replied, nodding and popping a grape into her mouth.

Astraea and the Doctor turned and walked out of the ward, their eyes and ears peeled but looking as though they were having a quiet conversation.

Aludra sighed, a small smile on her face before picking up her purse and rummaging through it, pulling out a book from the deceptively small bag. She put the purse beside her and the bowl of grapes on her other side, leaning back against the pillows and reading her book – Galactic and Intergalactic Law – that was disguised as a book on fairy tales and legends while keeping an ear open for anything that might seem out of the ordinary.

An hour later, Astraea and the Doctor returned from their stroll through the halls.

“Hey, you find anything?” Aludra asked, putting her book down when she saw the couple.

“Nothing much, only that-” The Doctor started, shaking his head.

Before he could finish the sentence, there was a flash of thunder and lightning. The ground began to shake violently, knocking everyone to the floor as the hospital building began tilting side-to-side. Everyone screamed, trying to hold on to each other and the beds as they were tossed around.

Astraea grabbed the bedframe and clung to it tightly while the Doctor circled his arms around her, locking her in place. Aludra clung to the bedframe on the other side of the bed, the bowl of grapes falling to the floor and sending the small purple fruit scattering across the tiles.

Suddenly, everything stopped shaking.

Slowly, everyone straightened up and got to their feet, staring numbly out of the windows at the dark sky – it had been lunchtime only five minutes earlier.

Astraea, Aludra and the Doctor exchanged looks as the hospital patients crowded around the windows. Many began crying, others began screaming – all of them panicking at the sight that greeted them outside the windows.

They were on the Moon.

“All right now!” A young female voice called in ringing tones, firm and calm despite the situation. “Everyone back to bed, we've got an emergency but we'll sort it out. Don't worry.”

The owner of the voice, Miss. Jones, strode into the ward with Swales.

The Doctor, Astraea and Aludra exchanged looks, quite impressed with her calm demeanour. The Time Lord drew the curtain around his bed while Astraea and Aludra split up and began helping patients back to the beds, the latter still barefoot. The two medical students went to the window, both stunned at the rocky landscape outside.

“It’s real.” Jones said, stunned. “It’s really real! Hold on.” She reached up to open the window latch.

“Don’t!” Swales cried, barely holding back her sobs and grabbing her arm. “We’ll lose all the air!”

“But they’re not exactly airtight.” Jones pointed out. “If the air was gonna get sucked out, it would have happened straight away. But it didn’t, so how come?”

“Very good point.” The Doctor said as he pulled the curtain back, now dressed in a blue suit with red converse.

Jones and Swales whipped around to look at him.

“Brilliant, in fact.” Astraea added with a smile, moving towards him with Aludra.

“What was your name?” The Doctor asked, eyeing the pretty dark-skinned woman.

“Martha.” Jones, Martha, replied.

“Martha Jones?” Aludra asked and Martha nodded in response. “Like me.”

“Well then, Martha Jones.” The Doctor said, turning to look at the woman. “Question is, how are we still breathing?”

The Doctor, Astraea and Aludra joined Martha and Swales by the window, looking out curiously.

“We can’t be!” Swales said, sobbing.

“Obviously we are, so don't waste my time.” The Doctor retorted while Aludra put her arm around the sobbing woman. Astraea shook her head and reached up, whacking her fiancé upside the head. “OW! What was that for?!”

“You’re being rude.” Astraea replied exasperatedly before turning to Martha, “Martha, is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda, or-?”

“By the patients’ lounge, yeah.” Martha replied, nodding, an amused look on her face at the smack the Doctor had been given and the put out expression on his face.

“Do you fancy going out?” Aludra asked, looking up at the slightly taller woman with a bright smile.

“Okay.” Martha replied, looking between Aludra, Astraea and the Doctor.

“We might die.” The Doctor cautioned.

“We might not.” Martha countered.

“You’re good.” Astraea said, looking at her with an impressed look on her face before turning to the Doctor. “I like her.”

“Come on!” The Doctor said cheerfully, taking Astraea’s hand in his own. He glanced at Swales, adding, “Not her, she’d hold us up.” Astraea reached up with her free hand and whacked him behind his head. “Ow.”

“Rude.” Astraea said, rolling her eyes.

Aludra grabbed her purse and slipped her heels back on before the four of them walked out of the ward, Martha leading them to the patients’ lounge.

They walked through the corridors, patients huddled up together along the walls, before coming to pair of double doors. Stopping in front of them, they paused for a moment before Astraea and the Doctor opened the doors simultaneously and stepped out onto the balcony. Aludra stepped out beside them, her and Astraea with expressions of wonder and amazement on their faces as they looked at the Earth hanging in the sky.

“Amazing.” Astraea breathed, a smile lighting up her face.

“Wow.” Aludra breathed in wonder, slinging her purse across her chest.

The Doctor looked down at them, his gaze more on Astraea than Aludra as he watched the pure amazement on their faces. No matter how long they travelled, where they went, both of them still had the same wonder and amazement on their faces every time they encountered something new. It was more pronounced since they had been reincarnated as they both spent over 20 years growing up and living on Earth, under the belief that such things were next to impossible.

“We’ve got air!” Martha breathed in amazement, stepping out onto the balcony and drawing the Doctor out of his thoughts. Astraea and Aludra glanced at her, drawing out of their own wonder to see a similar expression on the pretty woman’s face. “How does that work?”

“Just be glad it does.” The Doctor remarked dryly, leaning against the balcony and looking out at the rocky landscape before them.

“I’ve got a party tonight.” Martha said softly, her eyes never leaving the Earth. “It’s my brother’s 21st. My mother’s gonna be really… really…” She trailed off, her voice cracking.

“Are you all right, Martha?” Aludra asked, looking up at the woman next to her in concern.

“Yeah.” Martha replied, nodding.

“Are you sure?” Astraea asked, leaning around the Doctor and Aludra to look at her.

“Yeah.” Martha repeated.

“Do you want to go back in?” The Doctor asked.

“No way!” Martha replied adamantly, shooting him a quick look that essentially asked if he was insane before turning back to the Earth. “I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same…” She smiled, letting out a small laugh. “It’s beautiful.”

“Yes, it is.” The Doctor agreed, looking down at Astraea with a tender expression on his face, his eyes filled with love for her.

“Ada, she meant the Earth.” Aludra said dryly, knowing without looking that the Doctor had been looking at Astraea when he agreed to Martha’s statement.

“They both did, _Cariad_ .” Astraea said, oblivious to her fiancé having his eyes on _her_ and not the Earth. Aludra groaned and face-palmed exasperatedly while Martha giggled at the interactions. “Martha, you really think it’s beautiful?”

“Yeah, absolutely.” Martha replied, her giggles fading as a look of amazement crossed her features. “I mean, how many people want to go to the _Moon_? And here we are.”

“Basking in the Earthlight.” Aludra said, crossing her arms over the railing and leaning against it.

“What do you think happened?” Martha asked, slightly curious and slightly concerned.

“What do you think?” The Doctor asked, glancing at Martha and wrapping his arm around Astraea’s waist.

“Extra-terrestrial.” Martha replied without missing a beat. “It’s got to be. I dunno, a few years ago that would’ve sounded mad, but these days…” She shrugged slightly. “That spaceship flying into Big Ben, Christmas, those Cybermen things.” She sighed heavily, a look of sorrow crossing her pretty features. “I had a cousin…. Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf.” Aludra’s eyes widened and she whipped her head around to look at Martha, shock clear on her face. “She never came home.”

“I’m sorry.” The Doctor said softly, looking at Martha sympathetically.

“Yeah.” Martha said quietly, nodding in acceptance.

She clearly took the condolence as something a person would say out of politeness and decorum when informed of another’s loss, no matter how sincere the sentiment.

“We were there… in the battle.” Astraea said quietly, leaning against the Doctor’s chest as he tightened his hold on her with one arm and took Aludra’s hand in his own with the other. “The three of us and some of our family.”

“You made it out?” Martha asked, looking surprised.

She was well aware that of the 800 people that worked in the Tower, only 25 made it out. And of those 25, it was relatively common knowledge that only 6 were still alive, the rest having taken their own lives within weeks of the battle, unable to bear the memories and loss of that terrible day.

“Barely.” The Doctor said quietly. “And not all of us.”

“I knew Addy.” Aludra said just as quietly, looking up at Martha sympathetically. “We were friends. Even though we didn’t work together, we regularly met for lunch or coffee whenever our schedules aligned.” She reached out and took Martha’s hand with her free one, squeezing it gently. “She was an amazing woman. I am so sorry.”

“I am too.” Martha said, just as sincere and sympathetic. “For those that you three have lost.” She turned back to the sight before them and took a breath, pushing aside her sorrow to focus on the situation at hand. “I promise you, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Dr. Jones. We will find a way out.” She said determinedly. “If we can travel to the Moon, then we can travel back. There's got to be a way.”

“It’s not Smith.” The Doctor said, letting go of Astraea and glancing over the side of the railing. “That’s not our real names, though Siwan _is_ a Jones. Sort of.”

“And the two of them aren’t married yet.” Aludra added helpfully. “They’re engaged.”

“Who are you, then? And how can you be ‘sort of’ Jones’?” Martha asked, eyeing them and evidently deciding to ignore the white lie about them being married instead of engaged – it wasn’t that big of a surprise considering that family members could be asked to leave the hospital unless it was a patient’s spouse.

“It’s a long story.” Astraea said sheepishly. “But I’m Astraea, this is our daughter Aludra,” she gestured to Aludra who waved.

“How can she be your daughter?” Martha asked with a confused frown, looking at the trio who looked to be around the same age as each other.

“Part of that long story.” Aludra said sheepishly before gesturing to the Doctor.  “And he’s the Doctor.”

“Me too, if I ever pass my exams.” Martha said with a light chuckle, evidently deciding to focus on what she could deal with and leave the rest for later. “What is it then – Doctor Smith and Doctor Jones?”

“PhD, not MD.” Aludra corrected.

“Ah.” Martha said in understanding.

“No, just ‘the Doctor’.” The Doctor replied, looking over the balcony railing.

“How d’you mean ‘just the Doctor’?” Martha asked, confused.

“Just… the Doctor.” He replied, looking at her.

“What, people call you ‘the Doctor’?” Martha asked sceptically.

“Yeah.” The Doctor replied, nodding.

“Among other things.” Aludra muttered quietly to Astraea, who snorted in amusement.

“Well, _I’m_ not.” Martha said firmly. “As far as I’m concerned, you’ve got to earn that title. Especially if you’re a medical doctor.”

Astraea and Aludra exchanged looks, both fighting their smiles and clearly impressed with the pretty medical student.

“Well, I’d better make a start then.” The Doctor muttered, eying Martha and seeing the impressed looks on Astraea and Aludra’s faces out of the corner of his eye. “Let’s have a look.”

Astraea handed him a small pebble she had picked up and he tossed it out. They watched as it sailed through the air before hitting an invisible wall, a force field that rippled for a few seconds before smoothing out once again.

“A force field of some kind to keep out the air.” Aludra commented.

“I thought so.” The Doctor muttered, his suspicion confirmed.

“If that’s like a bubble sealing us in… that means this is the only air we’ve got.” Martha said slowly in realization. “What happens when we run out?”

“How many people are in this hospital?” The Doctor asked.

“I dunno, a thousand?” Martha asked uncertainly.

“One Thousand people. Suffocating.” Astraea said heavily.

Aludra shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself, remembering what Adam had told her about the feeling of being suffocated to death. The Immortal had told her everything about how each of the deaths he had faced felt – from being stabbed to being buried and everything in between.

“Why would anyone do that?” Martha asked, confused and horrified.

Engines roared overhead and the force field reverberated with the echoes. They turned towards the sound and saw three massive columnar spaceships flying over the roof of the hospital.

“Heads up! Ask ‘em yourself.” The Doctor remarked.

The Doctor, Astraea, Aludra and Martha watched as the ships landed just outside the force field. The doors opened and columns of marching figures emerged, stomping.

“Aliens.” Martha breathed in wide-eyed disbelief. “That’s aliens. Real, proper aliens.”

“Judoon.” The Doctor said darkly, tightening his hold around Astraea’s waist.

“Uh-oh.” Astraea muttered worriedly. “This is _not_ good.”

The columns of Judoon marched towards the hospital, going through the force field as though it wasn’t even there.

“It’s not _that_ bad, honey.” The Doctor remarked, glancing down at her.

“ _Annwyl_ , I only just got off probation with the Judoon.” Astraea reminded him. “And somehow, I get the feeling our ‘special circumstances’ won’t matter all that much to them since it didn’t when I got the notice of it being lifted a few weeks ago.”

“Good point.” The Doctor muttered, wincing as he recalled the incident that put his fiancee on probation in the first place.

Astraea had inadvertently started the Rutan/ Sontaran war during a side trip they had taken when she was pregnant with Aludra. She ended up being of probation for 30 years, the time she had grown up on Earth evidently being included within the probationary period.

“How _did_ you start that war exactly?” Aludra asked, looking at her mother with a frown.

“Well, all I really said was that the Sontarans had better armour and the Rutans had better battle and attack strategies.” Astraea replied sheepishly. “Next thing I know, they’re at each other’s throats and I’m caught in the crossfire.”

“Wow, you and Ada really do compliment each other.” Aludra said dryly, rolling her eyes.

“Hey, your father was being held by the Rutans and I had to come up with something to save both your butts.” Astraea said defensively.

“And inadvertently starting a war was your solution?” Aludra asked dryly, raising an eyebrow.

“Your mother was also in labor at the time.” The Doctor said, looking at Aludra. “You had decided that you wanted to be born early, instead of waiting another month.”

“What on Earth are you three talking about?” Martha asked, looking at them with an expression that was crossed between confusion and concerned for their sanity.

“It’s a long story.” The Doctor said, shrugging. “Let’s go find out what they want.”

The four of them went back inside and snuck down to the mezzanine that overlooked the reception. They crouched down behind the potted plants that were nestled against the glass railings and looked down below as the people began screaming in terror and hid behind the waiting chairs, each of them curled into tiny balls to try and make themselves smaller. The Judoon spread out around the room, blocking all the exits while one removed his helmet to reveal his features – a two-horned rhinoceros.

“Blos! So! Folt! Do! No! Cro! Blo! Cos! So! Ro!” He said and in response, the rest of the Judoon drew their weapons and aimed them at the frightened humans.

“Erm, we are citizens of Planet Earth.” Morgenstern said hesitantly, stepping towards the leader and visibly trembling. “We welcome you in peace-” The Judoon leader whipped around to look at him, causing several of the patients to let out frightened gasps. The leader pushed him back against the wall and held his red device against the frightened human’s face and shone a blue light at his mouth. “P-Please don’t hurt me. I was just trying to help. I'm-I’m sorry. Don't hurt me, please don't hurt me.”

The leader growled and pulled the device away from Morgenstern’s mouth. He replayed the words on the device before plugging it into a red circular socket on his chest plate.

“Language assimilated.” The leader said in a voice that resembled a rumbling growl. “Designation: Earth English. You will be catalogued.” He used another device and shone a blue light at Morgenstern’s forehead for several seconds, the human staring at the alien in wide-eyed terror. “Category: human.” He switched off the scanner and took a baffled Morgenstern’s hand, using the device to draw a black ‘X’ on the back of the human’s palm. “Catalogue all suspects.”

The Judoon pulled out their scanners and went to each of the frightened patients, shining the blue light on their foreheads before drawing the black ‘X’ on the back of the hands.

“Aw, look, you’ve got a little shop!” The Doctor exclaimed quietly, a bright smile on his face when he caught sight of the hospital gift shop in the reception area below. “I like a little shop.”

“Never mind that!” Martha hissed. “What are Judoon?”

“Galactic police.” Astraea replied, looking through the glass at the scene below.

“Well, police for hire.” The Doctor added. “They’re more like interplanetary thugs.”

“And they brought us to the Moon?” Martha asked with a frown.

“The Moon is neutral territory.” Aludra explained quietly. “According to Galactic Law, they have no jurisdiction over the Earth. To circumvent that, they isolated us.”

“That rain and lightning? That was them, using an H2O Scoop.” The Doctor added, his voice just as quiet.

“What are you on about, ‘Galactic Law’?” Martha asked with a small smile. “Where’d you get that from?”

None of the travellers replied, instead they moved slightly to the side so they could look through the railing glass without the plants in the way.

“Human.” A Judoon confirmed, taking the trembling patient’s hand and marking it with a black ‘X’ before moving to the next.

“If they’re the police, are we under arrest?” Martha asked, peering over the railing while the travellers stayed in their crouch and looked through the glass. “Are we trespassing on the Moon or something?”

“No.” The Doctor replied before adding cheerfully, “But I like that! Good thinking.”

“I wish it were that simple.” Astraea muttered with a sigh. “They’re making a catalogue. That means they’re after something non-human.”

“Which is very bad news for you and Ada.” Aludra pointed out, glancing at Astraea.

“Oh dear.” Astraea groaned in realization.

“Why?” Martha asked, peering over the railing. The three travellers looked at her silently and, sensing their gaze, she turned to look at them in disbelief. “Oh, you’re kidding me.” In response, the three just raised their eyebrows silently. “Don’t be ridiculous.” She laughed lightly before it faded at their silent looks. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Come on, then.” Astraea whispered, moving away from the railing. “We need to find out who they’re looking for.”

Martha’s mind raced as she watched the three move away silently before shaking her head and following them.

“Troop Five, Floor 1!” The Judoon leader ordered. “Troop Six, Floor 2! Identify humans and find the transgressor! Find it!”

The Doctor and Astraea ran through the corridors on the second floor with Aludra and Martha following a few paces behind, all around them were staff members helping patients and visitors while trying to remain calm themselves.

Astraea and the Doctor disappeared through a door and before Aludra and Martha could catch up, they caught sight of the Judoon by the stairwell.

“They’re not after any of you, are they?” Martha asked Aludra as they ducked around a corner before they could be seen.

“No, they’re not.” Aludra replied in a whisper, peeking around the corner to see the Judoon troop disappear into the stairwell and head up to the third floor. “Unless Ada did something that pissed them off, in which case Nana’s going to have him sleeping on the chaise for a _very_ long time.”

Martha nodded in understanding and turned back to peek around the corner.

“They’re gone.” Aludra whispered after a few seconds, stepping out from her hiding place. “Come on.”

They ran down the corridor, passing the frightened patients, visitors and staff members, and reached the door that the Doctor and Astraea had disappeared through - the Admin Office. Pushing their way in through the mess that had fallen around the floor from their impromptu trip, they found the Doctor sitting at the computer flashing his sonic screwdriver at the screen while Astraea perched on the table beside him.

“They’ve reached the third floor.” Martha said, stepping over the boxes to join the Doctor at the computer. She looked at the whirring screwdriver curiously and nodded to it as she asked, “What’s that thing, then?”

“Sonic screwdriver.” The Doctor, Astraea and Aludra replied in unison.

“Well, if you’re not going to answer me properly…” Martha snapped, irritated.

“No, really, it is! It’s a screwdriver and it’s... sonic.” The Doctor said defensively, turning to look at Martha and holding the screwdriver up. “Look.”

“What else have you got?” Martha asked in rhetoric sarcasm. “Laser spanner?”

“He did, but it was stolen by Emily Pankhurst.” Astraea replied, glancing at Martha over her shoulder before looking back at the monitor.

“Cheeky woman.” The Doctor muttered before getting frustrated and slamming the monitor. “What’s wrong with this computer?!”

“The Judoon must have locked it down.” Aludra said, completely unfazed by the outburst while Martha jumped. “Here Ada, let me give it a try. My access codes might work even if we’re in a different hospital, the systems might be the same. It’ll be faster than trying to hack in.”

The Doctor nodded and got to his feet, letting Aludra sit in the chair.

“Judoon platoon upon the Moon.” The Doctor muttered, rubbing his hands over his face and leaning against the table beside Astraea. “Astraea and I were just travelling past. I swear, we were just wandering while we waited for Aludra to finish whatever she was doing. We weren't _looking_ for trouble, honestly, we weren't.” Aludra snorted quietly at the remark and the Doctor responded by lightly tapping her on the head without breaking his rant. “But I noticed these plasma coils around the hospital.”

“That lightning was a plasma coil.” Astraea explained to a slightly bewildered Martha who nodded. “It’s been building up for two days now.”

“So I had Astraea check us in.” The Doctor continued, running his hands over his hair and making the thick locks stick up in every direction. “I thought something was going on _inside_. It turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above.”

“But what are they looking for?” Martha asked with a frown, her head spinning from everything she had learned in the past little while.

“Something that looks human, but isn’t.” Astraea replied, reaching up to gently smooth the Doctor’s hair back down. Like always, the motion helped him relax and the tension eased from his shoulders.

“Like you two, apparently.” Martha pointed out, remembering what Aludra had said about the cataloguing being a problem for the _couple_ but not adding herself to it.

“Like us, but not us.” The Doctor said.

“Haven’t they got a photo?” Martha asked logically.

“Might be a shape-changer.” Astraea said, looking at the screen that showed blank record after blank record. “Making a photo completely useless.”

“But whatever it is, can’t you just leave the Judoon to find it?” Martha asked.

“If they declare the hospital guilty of harbouring a fugitive, they'll sentence it to execution.” The Doctor replied.

“All of us?” Martha asked in dismay.

“Oh, yes.” The Doctor replied darkly. “But if we can find this thing first…”

“Oh they are so thick!” Aludra exclaimed suddenly, glaring at the screen. “I always knew they were thick, but this is beyond thick!”

“ _Cariad_ , what is it?” Astraea asked, looking at the screen only to see a red screen with blank windows.

“They wiped the records!” Aludra exclaimed in frustration, running her hands through her hair and nearly undoing the pins holding the French twist in place.

“What are we looking for?” Martha asked, slightly taken aback by the sapphire-eyed Welshwoman’s outburst.

“Not entirely sure, but any patient admitted in the past week under unusual circumstances.” Astraea replied.

“Martha, do you think Mr. Stoker might know?” Aludra asked as she began typing again rapidly, her hair starting to slip from the pins holding it in place. “As the head of the hospital?”

“He might.” Martha said thoughtfully. “You keep working, I’ll go and find out.”

“Be careful!” The Doctor called as she left the room. He turned back to Aludra, “Maybe there’s a backup you can...”

“Already trying to access it.” Aludra said, smiling up at him as she used the screwdriver on the monitor.

“That’s my girl.” He said with a grin, kissing her head lightly before leaning back against the table and wrapping his arm around Astraea.

“ _Our_ girl.” Astraea corrected with a grin, leaning against him.

“ _Adam’s_ girl.” Aludra corrected, shooting them a cheeky grin before turning her attention back to the screen. “Just about… got it!” She grinned brightly, pulling her mobile out of her purse. “Back up’s restored. It’ll just take a few minutes to compile the list and send it to my mobile.”

“I’ll let Martha know.” The Doctor said, pushing off the table and kissing both their beds lightly before walking out of the room.

Setting the compiled list to transfer to her mobile, Aludra stretched and undid the pins holding her hair up to let the locks fall down her frame in a cascade of curls. Running her fingers through the curls a few times, she quickly tied her hair back into the twist to keep it out of the way.

“List’s been transferred.” Astraea said, looking at the mobile when it beeped.

“Astraea! Aludra!” The Doctor yelled frantically from the hallway. “We gotta go!”

“Just in time too!” Aludra exclaimed, grabbing her purse and tucking the mobile into it.

The mother and daughter pair ran out of the office to see a tall figure dressed in black leather with a black helmet over his head.

“Run!” The Doctor yelled, grabbing Astraea’s hand and running down the hall, Aludra taking Martha’s hand and following behind them.

“What happened?” Aludra asked as she and Martha took the lead, the medical student leading them through the hallways.

“I found the alien.” Martha replied as they entered the stairwell and began running down. “In Mr. Stoker’s office.”

They reached the fourth floor landing to find a Judoon unit coming up the stairs from the third floor. The Doctor looked around and spotted a doorway, running through it with Astraea beside him while Aludra and Martha followed them. The leather dressed man followed after them, not even sparing a glance at the Judoon unit.

Sprinting down the corridor, Aludra grabbed shelves and trolleys, tossing them to the ground as they passed to try and buy themselves more time. They ran through the corridors until they reached the Radiology department, the leather dressed man following a few feet behind. As soon as Aludra and Martha were inside the lab, Astraea herded them behind the glass partition while the Doctor sonicked the door locked just before their pursuer could enter.

“When we say ‘Now’, press the button!” Astraea said hurriedly before running to the X-Ray machine.

“But I don’t know which one!” Martha protested

“Then let’s find out.” Aludra said, grabbing the massive manual and flipping through it while Martha looked at all the buttons on the console.

Their pursuer slammed at the doors, trying to break them down. Hearts racing, Astraea and the Doctor rapidly worked on the X-Ray equipment, sonicking various parts of the machine and fiddling with it before sticking his screwdriver in a port on one side.

The leather dressed man finally got in and the Doctor and Astraea, standing on either side of the X-Ray machine, aimed it at him.

“Now!” They yelled in unison.

Martha and Aludra slammed their hands down on the big yellow button that was isolated from the rest of the buttons on the console.

Martha and Aludra shielded their eyes as the room became filled in fluorescent blue lighted radiation. The radiation made the Doctor and Astraea’s skeletons visible for several seconds until Aludra switched off the machine.

The man fell forward, landing face-front on the ground and completely still.

“What did you do?” Martha asked breathlessly, looking at the prone man on the floor with wide eyes.

“Increased the radiation by 5000%.” The Doctor replied, looking down at the figure. “Killed him dead.”

“But isn’t that gonna kill the both of you?” Martha asked frantically as Aludra stepped out from the shielded room. “Wait Aludra! There’s the radiation!”

“It’s okay to come out, it won’t kill any us.” Astraea said reassuringly, glancing at Martha through the glass. “We’ve absorbed it all.”

“How is it not going to kill you?” Martha asked worriedly, gingerly stepping out from behind the shielding of the operator’s room.

“It’s only Roentgen Radiation.” The Doctor said, shrugging. “We used to play with Roentgen bricks in the nursery.”

“All they need to do is expel it.” Aludra said cheerfully.

“If we concentrate… we can shake the radiation…” Astraea said, her brows furrowed in concentration as she and the Doctor began bouncing and hopping in place. “Out of our bodies and into one spot.”

“Left shoe?” The Doctor suggested, groaning as he felt the radiation travel through his body.

“Ah, ah, ah… works for me.” Astraea said with a wince, holding her sari up over her knees and hopping on her right high heeled foot, shaking the left ankle vigorously. “Itches, itches!”

“Ow, ow, ow!” The Doctor groaned, hopping on his right foot and shaking his left ankle just as vigorously as Astraea was. “Out, out, out!”

Aludra giggled, crouched beside the leather-clad body and watching her parents expel the radiation from their bodies.

The Doctor yanked off his left shoe, sock as well, and tossed them into the yellow dustbin, Astraea yanking off her left sandal and tossing it as well.

“Done.” Astraea said cheerfully, expertly balancing on her right high heeled foot while the left remained 5” off the ground because of the height difference.

“You both are completely mad.” Martha said, looking at the couple as though they had grown extra heads.

“Yeah, we do look daft with only one shoe on.” Astraea said, glancing down at her feet and nodding.

Balancing on her left foot, she yanked off her other high heel while the Doctor pulled off his other converse and sock, both tossing them into the bin as well.

“Barefoot on the Moon!” The Doctor cheered, clicking his teeth shut and grinning brightly at Martha and Aludra.

“Not that different from Nana running around barefoot.” Aludra said cheerfully.

“Nope.” Astraea said, popping the ‘p’ and grinning.

Martha looked at the three of them for a second before shaking her head and turning her attention to the still form in front of Aludra.

“So what’s that thing?” She asked, crouching beside Aludra to look at it. “Where he from, the Planet Zovirax?”

“It's just a Slab.” The Doctor said, he and Astraea moving to crouch on the Slab’s other side. “They're called Slabs.”

“They’re your basic slave drones.” Astraea explained. “See?” She squeezed the Slab’s upper arm. “Solid leather, all the way through.”

“Someone’s got one hell of a fetish.” Aludra muttered dryly.

“But it was that woman, Miss. Finnegan.” Martha said as the Doctor got to his feet and turned to the X-Ray machine. “It was working for her, just like a servant.”

The Doctor pulled his screwdriver out from the port and looked at it in dismay, the device completely fried.

“My sonic screwdriver!” He moaned.

"She was one of the patients, but…" Martha continued, getting to her feet.

“It burnt out my sonic screwdriver!” The Doctor complained in dismay.

“She had this straw, like some sort of vampire.” Martha tried to explain.

“I loved my sonic screwdriver!” The Doctor lamented.

“Doctor!” Martha shouted at the same time Astraea got to her feet and smacked the Time Lord behind the head.

“Ow!” He cried, looking at Astraea with a pout and rubbing the back of his head. His eyes widened and a grin formed on his face, turning to look at Martha as he realized what she had called him. “You called me ‘Doctor’!”

“People do that on occasion, Ada.” Aludra said dryly, rolling her eyes.

“And she was also trying to tell us about the alien the Judoon are looking for.” Astraea added, shaking her head exasperatedly.

“Sorry.” He said apologetically, tossing the fried screwdriver over his shoulder. It fell to the ground with a charming clink before rolling away.

“Anyway, _Miss. Finnegan_ is the alien.” Martha said. “She was drinking Mr. Stoker’s blood.”

“Hardly the time for a snack.” Astraea commented. “There are Judoon all over the hospital.”

“If she’s the one they’re looking for, you’d think she’d be hiding.” The Doctor agreed, looking at Astraea. “Unless… no…!”

“It’s got to be.” Astraea said, her eyes wide in realization. “It’s the only thing that fits.”

“We said she could be a shape-changer. _Internal_ shape-changer!” The Doctor exclaimed, making Martha jump at the sudden sound while Aludra didn’t look at all fazed.

“She wasn’t _drinking_ the blood, she was _assimilating_ it!” Astraea exclaimed.

Martha looked back and forth between the couple, eyeing them and not really following a single thing they said. She turned to look at Aludra and found that the other woman was just looking at the couple with an exasperated expression on her face.

“Before you ask, yes they do this all the time.” Aludra said, feeling Martha’s eyes on her and looking at the medical student for a moment before turning back to her parents. “Subtitles for those of us who can’t be bothered to try and keep up with the two of you.”

“If she can assimilate Mr. Stoker’s blood, mimic the biology, she’ll register as human!” Astraea explained hurriedly.

“We’ve got to find her and show the Judoon.” The Doctor said, grabbing Astraea’s hand and running out of the room. “Come on, you two!”

Aludra and Martha ran out behind them and down the corridor.

“Hide!” Astraea hissed, seeing a Slab at the other end of the corridor.

The four of the ducked behind a water cooler in a small alcove at the T-junction just as the Slab walked passed them.

“That’s the thing about Slabs.” The Doctor muttered. “They always travel in pairs.”

“What about you?” Martha asked, eyeing the three travellers.

“What about us?” Astraea asked.

“Haven’t you got back-up?” Martha asked curiously. “You must have partners or something.”

“We have each other.” Aludra replied, shrugging lightly.

“Humans!” The Doctor said exasperatedly, shaking his head at Martha. “We’re stuck on the Moon, running out of air, with Judoon and a blood-sucking criminal, and you’re asking personal questions?!”

“Come on!” Astraea hissed, rolling her eyes.

“I like that – ‘Humans’.” Martha remarked dryly. “I’m still not convinced you’re aliens.”

They stepped out into the hall and froze as they came face-to-face with a Judoon unit. The one in front flashed his scanner in the Doctor’s face.

“Non-human!” The Judoon declared.

“Oh, my God, you really are!” Martha gasped, her eyes wide in shock.

“And again!” The Doctor shouted, grabbing Astraea’s hand and running down the hall with Aludra and Martha running behind them. The Judoon shot after them, the red laser beams barely avoiding them.

“I don’t understand. They look human.” Martha said to Aludra as they ran up the stairs behind Astraea and the Doctor.

“You look Time Lord.” Aludra corrected. “They came first.”

“Quickly, in, in, in!” Astraea said as they burst into a corridor just off the stairwell, the Doctor holding the door open.

As soon as Martha and Aludra were through, the Doctor closed the door and locked it to try and buy them some time. They looked around at the corridor, seeing people gasping for air along the walls, several others already unconscious.

“They’ve already done this floor.” The Doctor said, looking around and seeing the black ‘X’ marked on several of the patients’ hands. “Come on.” He walked down the corridor with Astraea and Aludra, Martha a few steps behind and panting slightly. “The Judoon are logical and just a little bit thick.”

“A lot thick.” Aludra muttered as they passed by Swales, crouched in front of a patient she was giving oxygen to.

“They won’t go back to check a floor they’ve already checked.” The Doctor continued, ignoring Aludra’s quip but silently agreeing wholeheartedly. “If we’re lucky.”

“How much oxygen is there?” Martha asked, she and Aludra crouching beside Swales.

The Doctor and Astraea, hearing the question, stopped and turned back to look at Martha, Aludra and Swales.

“Not enough for all these people.” Swales replied quietly. “We’re going to run out.”

“What about you, Martha?” Aludra asked, looking at the pretty woman beside her. “Are you all right?”

“I’m running on adrenaline.” Martha replied, smiling reassuringly.

“Welcome to our world.” Astraea said with a small smile.

“What about the Judoon?” Martha asked.

“Nah, great big lung reserves.” The Doctor said, waving his hand dismissively. “It won't slow them down.”

“Where's Mr Stoker's office?” Astraea asked.

“This way.” Martha said, rising to her feet and pointing down the hall.

Aludra got to her feet and the three travellers followed the medical student towards the office.

Astraea and the Doctor padded stealthily on their bare feet into the office with Martha and Aludra behind them.

The office was empty except for the grey and ashen body of Mr. Stoker, staring at the ceiling with lifeless eyes.

“She’s gone, she was here!” Martha insisted.

“We can hardly expect her to stick around after she’d killed someone.” Aludra pointed out as the Doctor and Astraea knelt beside the body. “Ada, Nana, what is Miss. Finnegan?”

“A Plasmavore.” Astraea said quietly. “She drained this poor man of every last drop of blood.”

“But what’s she doing on Earth?” Martha asked, shaking her head.

“Hiding.” The Doctor replied. “On the run, like Ronald Biggs in Rio de Janeiro.”

“But what is she doing now?” Aludra asked with a frown. “She’s still not safe. I mean, the Judoon could execute us all.”

“Come on.” The Doctor said, he and Astraea getting to their feet and darting towards the door.

“Wait a minute.” Martha said, halting the couple before they could leave the office.

She bent down beside Mr. Stoker’s body and gently closed his eyes with the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra looking on. She rose to her feet and turned to follow the trio out of the office.

“Think, think, think.” The Doctor muttered as they walked back towards the corridor. “If I was a wanted Plasmavore surrounded by police, what would I do?”

“I think I might know.” Astraea said, pointing at the MRI sign on the wall in front of them.

“Ohh… she’s as clever as me.” The Doctor said, running his hand through his hair. “Almost.”

There was a resounding bang down the hall as the Judoon marched in through the doors, the humans that were still conscious screaming in fear.

“Find the non-human!” The Judoon ordered. “Execute!”

“Martha, Aludra, both of you stay here.” The Doctor said urgently, looking at the two women. “Astraea and I need time. You’ve both got to hold them up.”

“How do we do that?” Martha asked, looking frightened.

“Forgive me for this.” The Doctor said hurriedly, looking at a confused Martha. “It could save a thousand lives. It means nothing, honestly, nothing.” He leaned forward and kissed Martha gently on the forehead before turning to Aludra. “Both of you, be careful.”

He grabbed Astraea’s hand and the two dashed off down the corridor.

“What was that for?” Martha asked completely confused.

“Genetic transfer.” Aludra replied simply.

“And why didn’t he kiss you?” Martha asked her with a raised eyebrow.

“Because when the Judoon scan you and trace the transfer, they’ll do a full scan.” Aludra replied. “I’ll only register as human on a _surface_ scan, the scan that they’re currently doing. Anything deeper and I’m screwed.”

“Got it.” Martha said as the Judoon approached them.

~*~

The Doctor and Astraea ran down the corridor towards the Imaging department.

“If that was a genetic transfer, why didn’t you kiss Martha on the lips?” Astraea asked curiously. “Wouldn’t it have been much more effective?”

“What?” He asked, skidding to a stop and looking at her with wide eyes.

“Kissing her on the lips would have been more effective.” Astraea repeated. “At least according to everything I had learned in the Academy.”

“Sweetheart.” The Doctor began, stepping closer to her and gently cupping her face with his larger hands. “I will only ever want to kiss you on the lips, no matter what. Genetic transfer or not. It will only ever be _you_. Forever and always.”

Astraea blinked up at him, a blush filling her cheeks at his wholehearted words.

“Likewise.” She said softly, gently pulling him down by the lapels to kiss him lightly.

“Good.” He said, winking at her and making her blush again. “’Cos fair warning, I can be quite the possessive bastard.”

“I know.” Astraea replied lightly, remembering all the times he used to get very annoyed and possessive when other people would incessantly hit on her.

Where Astraea often found it to be hilarious when people would flirt with him and he would get entirely uncomfortable, the Doctor on the other hand did not find it funny when people flirted with her. At all.

The Doctor, knowing what she was referring to, kissed her lightly again before grabbing her hand and they resumed running towards the Imaging department. Turning a corner, they slowed down when they saw the lights flashing through the closed door.

“You with me?” He asked quietly, looking down at her.

“Always.” She replied.

He nodded and opened the door slowly before quietly stepping inside with Astraea beside him. Looking around the room, squinting against the bright lights, they saw the MRI scanner covered with volts of electric currents while Miss. Finnegan herself was in the control booth, fiddling with the controls.

Exchanging nods, the Doctor and Astraea adopted out-of-breath and shocked expressions as they turned to the old woman.

“Have you seen?!” The Doctor asked frantically, gesturing wildly at the door behind him and Astraea. “There are these things, these great big space rhino things! I mean, rhinos from space?!”

“And we’re on the Moon!” Astraea added, looking just as frantic and hysterical as her fiancé. “I’ve always loved the Moon, but I never thought we would _actually_ be on the Moon!”

“Great big space rhinos on the Moon!” The Doctor exclaimed. “I only came in for my bunions! Look!” He lifted up one foot and held it in his hands. “I mean, all fixed now. Perfectly good treatment, the nurses were lovely. I said to my wife.” He put his foot back down and nodded to Astraea. “‘Seren, I’d recommend this place to anyone’.”

“He did.” Astraea agreed, nodding as Miss. Finnegan slowly walked towards them. “But then we ended up on the Moon!”

“And… did I mention the rhinos?!” The Doctor asked wide-eyed, pointing vaguely at the door.

“Bind them.” Miss. Finnegan shouted.

The two of them looked behind them to see the remaining Slab enter the room. It grabbed hold of their shoulders tightly and pushed down, sending them both to their knees. Miss. Finnegan turned back to the controls, fiddling with the buttons and the settings, ignoring the couple entirely. The Slab grabbed a nearby length of coil and tied their hands behind their backs before once again grabbing their shoulders and holding firmly.

The Doctor looked at Astraea, swallowing thickly with a look of clear concern on his face. She looked back at him, a similar look of concern on her own face but at the same time, there was also determination swimming in the depths of her gold-rimmed purple eyes. Drawing strength from each other and shifting slightly so that their arms brushed, they both looked at Miss. Finnegan, the elder woman now peering into the scanner itself intently.

“Um, that big, erm, machine thing.” Astraea stammered, once more taking on her baffled and confused expression. “Is it supposed to be making that noise?”

“You wouldn’t understand.” Miss. Finnegan replied, waving her hand at the couple dismissively and not even looking away from the scanner.

“But isn’t that a, uh, Magnetic Resonance Imaging… thing?” The Doctor asked, looking appropriately confused and baffled as well. “Like a… uh… ginormous sort of magnet? I did Magnetics GCSE. Well, I failed, but all the same…”

“The magnetic setting now increased to 50 000 Tesla.” Miss. Finnegan said gleefully, glancing at them for a second before turning back to the scanner.

“Ooo, that’s a bit strong.” The Doctor remarked. “Isn’t it?”

“It’ll send out a magnetic pulse that’ll fry the brain stems of every living thing within 250 000 miles.” Miss. Finnegan said gleefully, turning to look at them. “Except for me. Safe in this room.”

“But hold on, hold on.” The Doctor stammered as the Plasmavore walked passed them and back into the control booth. “I did Geography GCSE. Well, Seren and I both did. I passed that one, mostly because Seren tutored me. But doesn’t that distance include the Earth?”

“Only the side facing the Moon.” Miss. Finnegan said reassuringly. “The other half will survive. Call it my little gift.”

“I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse me, we’re a little out of our depths.” The Doctor said shaking his head. “The past 15 years Seren spent working as a shop girl while I worked as a postman…hence the bunions. Why would you do that?”

“With everyone dead, the Judoon ships will be mine, to make my escape.” Miss. Finnegan replied.

“No, that’s weird.” Astraea said, blinking at the older woman innocently. “You’re talking like you’re some sort of alien.”

“Quite so.” Miss. Finnegan said with a smile, nodding.

“No!” The Doctor breathed, his eyes going wide.

“Oh, yes.” Miss. Finnegan said.

“You’re joshing us.” The Doctor said in denial.

“I am not.” Miss. Finnegan snapped.

“We’re talking to an alien?” The Doctor asked in amazement. “In hospital?”

“What, has this place got an E.T Department?” Astraea asked cluelessly.

“It's the perfect hiding place.” Miss. Finnegan explained. “Blood banks downstairs for a midnight feast, and all this equipment ready to arm myself with should the police come looking.”

“So those rhinos, they’re looking for you?” The Doctor asked.

“Yes.” Miss. Finnegan replied, stepping towards them and holding up her hand, showing them the black ‘X’. “But I’m hidden.”

“So _that’s_ probably why they’re increasing their scans.” Astraea breathed in realization as Miss. Finnegan walked passed them.

“They’re doing what?” The Plasmavore asked, whipping around to look at the kneeling couple.

“Big Chief Rhino boy, we heard him say ‘no sign of a non-human, we must increase our scans up to Setting… Two’?” The Doctor trailed off with a questioning look on his face, trying to remember what had been said.

“Then I must assimilate again.” Miss. Finnegan said softly.

“What does that mean?” The Doctor asked.

“I must appear to be human.” Miss. Finnegan explained, going back into the control booth.

“Well, you’re welcome to come home with us.” The Doctor offered with a smile. “I could cook us up some dinner and Seren can make cake!”

“Yeah, we would love for you to come home.” Astraea agreed nodding. “I’m rubbish at cooking which is why John does it, but I can bake.”

“Seren is a fantastic baker.” The Doctor agreed wholeheartedly. “Her banana cake especially is fantastic with these edible ball bearings and…”

“Why should I have cake?” Miss Finnegan asked brightly, pulling out a straw from her purse and holding it up. “I’ve got my little straw.”

“That’s nice.” The Doctor said as Miss. Finnegan stepped towards him. “Milkshake? I like banana. Seren likes blueberry-pomegranate.”

“You quite the funny pair.” Miss. Finnegan said giggling as she crouched in front of them both. “And yet, I think, laughing on purpose at the darkness. I think it’s time you found some peace.” She looked at the Slab. “Steady them!”

The Slab tightened its grip on the Doctor’s shoulder with one hand while using the other to forcibly tilt the Time Lord’s head to the side.

“What are you doing?!” Astraea asked worriedly.

“I’m afraid, dear woman, this is going to hurt your beloved husband.” Miss. Finnegan said to Astraea in an almost gentle tone, gently patting the Doctor’s rapidly pulsing carotid artery. “But if it’s any consolation, the dead don’t tend to remember.”

“ _Annwyl! Annwyl!_ ” Astraea screamed, struggling against the coil binding her as the Plasmavore began sucking the Time Lord’s blood.

Astraea moaned, becoming lightheaded from the blood loss her beloved was experiencing.

“Seren…” The Doctor breathed as his eyes fluttered shut, his head falling limp against the Slab and the coil falling off his slackened wrists.

At the same time, Astraea fell limp against the floor, the coil binding her hands slipping off her slackened dainty wrists.

With their Bond being re-established once again, what happened to one happened to the other. The only time it wasn’t so was when they regenerate, if that was only one who was regenerating. Once the process begins, the connection would be temporarily blocked until the physical change is complete before reasserting itself while the energy settles and the body recovers.

A second later, Aludra’s scream of agony pierced the air, echoing through the corridor as she swayed in her spot, clutching her chest where her heart resided. Martha caught her before she could hit the ground with both arms around her.

“What is it? What happened?” Martha asked frantically, holding the tiny Welshwoman up as the two women followed after the Judoon towards the MRI room.

“Ada.” Aludra whimpered in pain, gripping Martha tightly. “Nana.”

The Judoon ignored the two women and barged into the MRI room. Miss. Finnegan jumped, startled, and dropped the Doctor’s limp form to the ground.

“Now see what you’ve done!” The Plasmavore said chidingly, hurriedly tucking her straw back into her purse and kicking the coil that had bound the couple’s hands out of sight before the Judoon could see. “This poor couple just died of fright.”

“Scan him!” The leader ordered. A Judoon pulled out the scanner and scanned the lifeless form. Martha ran into the room, all but carrying Aludra who was fighting to stay conscious. “Confirmation: deceased.”

“No, they can’t be!” Martha cried, pushing her way through the Judoon with her arms around Aludra. “Let us through, let us see him.”

One of the Judoon put his heavy hand on Martha’s arm, stopping her from going any further.

“Ada! Nana!” Aludra cried, tearing herself from Martha’s grip and rushing forward, falling to her knees between the couple. “No, please, please, please. Wake up. Wake up, I can’t lose you too. Please!” Tears streamed down her face as she shook them desperately, trying to rouse them. “Please!”

Seeing them, lying limp on the ground, she completely forgot of Astraea’s immortality or the Doctor’s regeneration. All she could see was her parents’ limp, unresponsive forms on the cold, marble floor.

“Case closed.” The Judoon leader said, completely apathetic to the sobbing woman on the floor.

Miss. Finnegan gave a small, satisfied smile at having gotten away with her crimes.

Martha looked at Aludra, her heart wrenching for the agony the Welshwoman was in.

“But it’s her.” Martha said, looking at Miss. Finnegan, desperate to not let the Doctor and Astraea’s deaths be in vain. “She killed them! She did it! She murdered Aludra’s parents!”

“Judoon have no authority over human crime.” The leader said emotionlessly.

“But she’s not human!” Martha cried.

“Oh, but I am.” Miss. Finnegan refuted, raising her hand and showing the black ‘X’ on the back. “I’ve been catalogued.”

Aludra blinked, the words being said round her slowly registering in her mind. She looked up at the elderly woman, remembering what the Doctor and Astraea had said about Plasmavores.

“You drank Ada’s blood.” Aludra said softly, her large sapphire blue eyes swimming with her heartbreak. She whipped around to look at Martha, a glimmer of hope shining through the pain. “Martha!”

“On it!” Martha said, grabbing a scanner from a Judoon and shining the blue light at the Plasmavore.

“Oh, I don't mind.” Miss. Finnegan said unconcernedly. “Scan all you like.”

“Non-human.” The Judoon leader declared.

“But – what?” Miss. Finnegan stammered, her smug and unconcerned expression fading into one of worry.

“Confirm analysis.” The leader ordered as Martha returned the scanner to the Judoon, a smug smile of her own on her face.

Another Judoon aimed his scanner at the woman and ran a scan, shining the blue light on her face.

“Oh, but it's a mistake, surely.” Miss. Finnegan protested. “I'm human. I'm as human as they come.”

“They gave their lives so that you’d be found.” Martha said softly, crouching beside Aludra and wrapping her arm around the distraught Welshwoman’s shaking shoulders.

“Confirm: Plasmavore.” The leader said. “Charged with the crime of murdering the child princess of Patrival Regency Nine.”

“Well, she deserved it!” Miss. Finnegan snapped, losing her innocent act and glaring up at the Judoon leader. “Those pink cheeks and those blonde curls and that simpering voice. She was begging for the bite of a Plasmavore.”

“Then you confess?” The leader asked.

Martha gently rubbed Aludra’s arms in an attempt to comfort the other woman, both staring sadly at the limp forms of the Doctor and Astraea.

“Confess?” Miss. Finnegan repeated with a scoff. “I’m proud of it! Slab, stop them!”

She turned and darted into the operating booth as the Slab stepped towards the Judoon. The leader fired his laser at the Slab, disintegrating it while Aludra and Martha shielded their eyes from the harsh light.

“Verdict: guilty.” The leader said, turning his weapon into Miss. Finnegan. “Sentence: execution.”

Miss. Finnegan plugged in the MRI scanner and a warning flashed on the screen, bright red against the black ‘MAGNETIC OVERLOAD’, an alarm ringing through the room.

“Enjoy your victory, Judoon.” Miss. Finnegan snarled as the Judoon aimed their weapons at her through the glass shielding. “Because you’re going to burn with me. Burn in Hell!”

Miss. Finnegan screamed as she was disintegrated by the multiple beams of harsh red light.

“Case closed.” The leader said as they holstered their weapons.

“But what did she mean ‘burn with me’?” Martha asked, looking up from where she was crouched beside Aludra. Noticing the currents dancing around the MRI scanner she added, “The scanner shouldn’t be doing that. She’s done something.”

The leader pulled out his scanner and stepped towards the machine, scanning it.

“Scans detect lethal acceleration of monomagnetic pulse.” He said.

“Well do something!” Martha snapped, her arm around Aludra who was looking towards the observation booth with a frown. “Stop it!”

“Our jurisdiction has ended.” The leader said unconcernedly, turning to look at the two women. “Judoon will evacuate.”

“What? You can’t just leave it!” Martha protested. “What’s it going to do?”

“All units withdraw.” The leader announced.

The leader and his unit turned and walked out of the room, the Judoon all around the hospital leaving as well.

“You can’t go!” Martha yelled, panting heavily as she ran after them and into the corridor. “That thing’s gonna explode and it’s your fault!”

The Judoon ignored her and she glared at their retreating backs before running back into the room.

“Martha, start CPR on Ada.” Aludra said, panting as she slowly got to her feet. “I’m going to try and stop the scanner from overloading.”

“What about your mother?” Martha asked.

“She’ll be okay as long as Ada wakes up. He was the one that was injured, _he’s_ the one that needs to be resuscitated.” Aludra replied, walking into the observation booth and fiddling with the controls.

“1, 2, 3, 4, 5.” Martha counted, giving compressions before putting her mouth over the Doctor’s and giving him a breath of air. “1, 2, 3, 4, 5.” She stopped the compressions and gave him another breath. She was about to start the compressions again when she realized something, “Two hearts!” She folded her hands over his right heart and began compressions. “1, 2, 3, 4, 5.” She moved to the left heart. “1, 2, 3, 4, 5.”

She began gasping for air as the oxygen levels dropped below red. Taking a final lungful of air, she placed her mouth over his and breathed. He awoke with a cough and beside him, Astraea came to with a gasp that turned to a cough, Martha collapsing from air loss.

“The scanner.” Martha gasped weakly, looking towards the booth were Aludra was unconscious from the lack of air, the red plug in her slackened hands. “She did something. Aludra tried…”

Before she could finish, she lost consciousness. The Doctor and Astraea glanced at the scanner and sat the energy currents playing all around it, similar currents dancing around the entire building.

Coughing, the couple staggered into the booth and crouched beside Aludra, noticing that she had been trying to unplug the red cable before she passed out. The Doctor reached out and unplugged the red cable in her hands, turning the scanner off. The electrical currents stopped their dance and faded away, the Doctor and Astraea letting out sighs of relief as they pulled Aludra up to her feet.

Astraea wrapped Aludra’s arm around her shoulders while the Doctor lifted Martha up to her feet, wrapping the medical student’s arm around his own shoulders. Together, the couple staggered out of the Imaging room with their precious bundles, and down the corridor. Outside, the Judoon ships took off as the oxygen levels inside the hospital fell to zero, everyone either unconscious or almost.

The couple staggered into a hospital ward with Martha and Aludra, turning to look out of the window.

“Come on, come on, come on, come on, please.” The Doctor pleaded under his breath. “Come on, Judoon, reverse it.” Astraea pleaded, looking out the window.

As if answering the plea, it began to rain.

“Look Aludra, Martha, it’s raining.” Astraea said with a small smile. “It’s raining on the Moon.”

The Doctor laughed lightly, just imagining what Aludra’s pout was going to look like when she realizes that she missed the sight of rain on the Moon.

A bright flash of white light surrounded them, the sound of thunder crashing filling the air as the hospital was returned to Earth, right in the spot it was taken from.

As police combed through the hospital and helped everyone outside to be tended to by the waiting paramedics, the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra broke away from the crowd and snuck across the ground to the TARDIS that was parked between the flowerbeds.

“I can’t believe I missed seeing it rain on the Moon.” Aludra muttered, a pout on her face as they walked up to the TARDIS.

The Doctor and Astraea exchanged looks and laughed lightly, both just happy that they had managed to save the humans that had been in the hospital.

The three of them glanced back to where Martha was sitting in the back of an ambulance, alert and thoughtful as a young woman who resembled her hugged her tightly. They smiled and waved at her before stepping inside the TARDIS.

“Any place in particular you want to go?” The Doctor asked, looking at Astraea and Aludra as he walked up to the console.

“Hampstead.” Aludra replied automatically, curling up on the jump seat. “I want to see Adam, be with him before we leave again.”

“Okay, Hampstead it is.” Astraea said, setting the controls and sending them into the Vortex before looking at her fiancé. “And you, my love, need to get a new screwdriver.”

“Yes, I do.” He replied, fiddling with the controls so that the TARDIS could give him the materials he needed to make the new screwdriver with the same software as the previous one.

Astraea stepped around the console and kissed the Doctor’s cheek lightly.

“I’m going to go take a shower and change.” She said, grabbing her purse and walking out of the console room.

The Doctor watched her go until she was out of sight before turning to look at Aludra, seeing the younger woman with her mobile in hand, rapidly texting. From the smile on her face, he knew that Adam was on the other end and couldn’t help the tender smile that crossed his face. He was incredibly happy that she had found someone who loved her for who she was, someone whom she wouldn’t have to see grow old and die with the passing of time.

The Doctor worked on his screwdriver while Aludra texted her beloved, silent except for the gentle music that played through the room and Idris’ humming at the back of their minds.

“My Thief, Star is upset.” Idris said to the Doctor almost an hour later, making the Time Lord look up from his work.

“What happened?” He asked with a frown.

Hearing the question, Aludra looked up and saw her father looking up at the ceiling.

“Ada, what’s wrong?” Aludra asked, putting her mobile down on the seat beside her.

“Star needs some assurance from her beloved.” Idris replied to both questions. “Just as you are receiving assurance from your beloved, my Sapphire.”

“Oh.” Aludra said, nodding. “You sure Nana is okay?”

“She’s all right.” Idris replied reassuringly. “My Thief, I will finish making the sonic screwdriver, you see to your beloved.”

The Doctor quickly removed the lab coat and safety goggles he had donned, kissed Aludra’s forehead before darting out of the console room. Aludra watched him go with a smile, praying that she and Adam would have a love like her parents, one that not even death had been able to end.

“Where is she, Idris?” The Doctor asked, walking briskly down the hall towards his and Astraea’s shared room.

“She’s in the Garden.” Idris replied.

The Doctor turned the corner and entered the TARDIS’ vast garden, filled with blossoms and plants of all kinds, from all around the Universe. It had stone pathways creating various patterns and stone waterfalls dotted among the colourful flora and fauna.

Looking around, he found Astraea sitting beside one of the waterfalls, absently playing with the water that pooled at the bottom. She was still dressed in her pink sari, though her hair was open, meaning that she had come straight to the Gardens after leaving the console room.

“Dara?” The Doctor called softly, using his fiancée’s true name, which meant ‘star’ just as her human name and her chosen name did.

Astraea jumped at the sound, turning towards the voice to see the Doctor standing behind her with a concerned look on his face.

“Oh, Theta, you frightened me.” She said, giving him a small smile before turning back to the pool of water in the stone basin. “Where’s Nilam?”

‘Nilam’ was Siwan’s true name, which meant ‘sapphire’, after her eyes. Only the three of them and Adam knew their true names, being told privately after the two of them had returned to London following the holidays. Not even Rhiannon or the kids knew them. It was too dangerous for humans to know the true names, names that were in a language so ancient and so powerful that it could burn stars and topple empires, a language that even the TARDIS translation matrix would translate for that very reason. The only reason Adam knew their true names was because he wasn’t exactly a human and he was forming a Soul Bond with Aludra, enabling him to be able handle the knowledge.

“She’s still in the console room, texting Adam.” He replied, moving to sit in front of her.  “What’s bothering you?”

“It’s…” She started with a sigh before trailing off and staring into the water.

The Doctor frowned, concern filling him as he wondered about what was bothering his fiancée.

“I nearly lost you today.” She said quietly, so quietly that he almost didn’t hear her. She looked up at him, tears filling her eyes. “If Martha hadn’t been able to resuscitate you, I would have lost you. And that scares me.”

“Oh Dara.” The Doctor said with a sigh, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a hug. He understood her fear because he shared it, every time they went on their adventures they faced the possibility of losing one another.

She rested her head against his chest, listening to the beat of his hearts and let the sound ground her, reassure her of him being alive.

“Theta?” Astraea said after a while, breaking the silence that had fallen over them.

“Hmm?”

“Do you get tired of waiting?”

“What do you mean?” He asked with a frown.

“Of waiting for me to be ready to fully complete the Sealing of the Souls?” She asked, turning her head to look up at him.

The Sealing of the Souls was the final step of Soul Bonding, where the couple would join in body and soul just as they would be joined in mind and heart.

There were five steps to a Soul Bonding:

Blessing of the Families  
Vowing before a Newborn Star  
Creating a Mental Connection  
Establishing an Empathic Link  
Sealing of the Souls

There was no specific order to the steps, only that the Blessings be given first so that the families were also aware of the couple’s intentions. Because their Bond was being _re_ -established, it would take a little longer before their mental connection, their ability to speak telepathically, and their empathic link, their ability to sense each other’s emotions, would solidify.

The Doctor gently moved Astraea from his lap so that she was facing him properly and looked into her eyes, seeing the worry and fear of not being good enough for him anymore since she had refused to take that final step.

“Dara, I spent over 20 years thinking you were _dead_.” He said softly, never breaking eye contact with her. “After that, I think I can wait however long it takes until you’re ready to complete the Sealing.”

“And if I’m ready now?” She asked, looking at him through the tears that had filled her eyes at his heartfelt words.

“What are you-?” He asked, cutting himself off as he gently wiped away the few tears that had fallen from her eyes.

“Theta, I’m ready to complete the Sealing.” Astraea said with a small smile.

“Are you sure?” He asked, wanting to be certain. “This isn’t because of what happened earlier?”

“Nearly losing you and Aludra today made me realize that I’ve been ready for a while now.” Astraea admitted softly, reaching up and cupping his face. “I don’t want to wait any longer.”

The Doctor smiled brightly and leaned down, sealing his mouth over her in a deep kiss. He gently lowered her to the ground, resting her back gently on the grass and leaning over her without breaking the kiss.

~*~

When the Doctor and Astraea finally emerged from the Garden, both looking utterly dishevelled with their clothes hastily put back on, they found that they were in the back garden of Adam and Aludra’s home in Hampstead. At their questions, Idris informed the couple that she had guided Aludra through piloting them safely and that the young woman in question had wasted no time in meeting her beloved inside the house, the younger couple reaffirming their own love in much the same way.

Showering and changing into fresh clothes before going inside the house, they were met with a combination of teasing and congratulations from Adam and Aludra for completing the Bond, now seen as married in the eyes of most of the Universe. The four spent several hours together, calling Rhiannon to reassure her as she had heard of the incident on the news and speaking with the kids before the three travellers left when night had fallen over the city.

The TARDIS, tracking Martha through the hospital employee database, landed in an alley next to the restaurant the young med student was at with her family. The trio stepped out of the alley in time to hear Martha’s family have a heated ‘discussion’ with Martha herself trying to play the mediator.

The young woman watched in despair as her parents stormed off in different directions while her sister went after their mother and her brother went after their father. She shook her head and sighed, catching sight of something out of the corner of her eye. Turning to look, she saw the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra standing by the corner of the alley.

Noticing her attention, they smiled at her before turning and silently walking back into the alley. Martha shot a final look at where her family was in the distance before hurrying after the trio, catching up to see them leaning nonchalantly against a big blue box and smiling at her.

“I went to the Moon today.” Martha said with a sigh, a small smile on her face.

“A bit more peaceful than down here.” The Doctor remarked, referring to the argument that her family had just had.

The Doctor was dressed in a brown pinstriped suit with a light blue dress shirt, a dark blue tie and his long over coat. He had his hair styled in an artful disarray, having successfully managed to avoid Astraea’s attempts at coming it, and had white converse on his feet.

Martha laughed lightly, having to agree with him.

“You never even told me who you three were.” Martha said.

“I’m the Doctor.” The Doctor replied.

“I’m Astraea.” Astraea replied, a gentle smile on her face.

Astraea was dressed in a gold-embroidered, amethyst purple lehenga* that showed off the lower half of her stomach, with the matching gold-bordered amethyst purple dupatta around her neck. Her hair was in a loose 3-strand braid with an amethyst purple ribbon interwoven through the bottom half, hanging over her shoulder with a few strands loose and framing her face and between her eyebrows, she had a small amethyst purple leaf bindi. On her feet, she wore a pair of 5” high heeled amethyst purple sandals* and her jewellery consisted of her engagement ring on her left ring finger, her Perception Filter ring back on her right ring finger and a pair of small gold hoop earrings in her ears.

“And I’m Aludra.” Aludra said with a cheerful wave.

Aludra was dressed in a black and aquamarine lehenga embroidered with silver* that showed off her entire abdomen, the dupatta pinned to her right shoulder. Her long hair was tied back in a half pony, held in place with a matching aquamarine ribbon and on her feet were a pair of black 5” high heeled sandals*. She had her heart pendant necklace around her neck, tucked into her blouse and a pair of aquamarine diamond studs in her ears.

“Yeah, but what sort of species did you say that they were, Aludra?” Martha asked, a look of genuine curiosity on her face. Realizing what she had said, she laughed lightly and added, “It’s not every day I get to ask that. Let alone twice.”

“Ada and Nana are Time Lords.” Aludra replied with a smile. “And I’m a Chosen One of the Mara.”

She kept it simple, not getting into Astraea being half-Time Lady and half-Chosen One or how they had died and had been reincarnated.

“Time Lords.” Martha repeated nodding. “Right, not pompous at all.”

Aludra giggled at the dry remark while the Doctor and Astraea smiled fondly, seeing how it could sound pompous. Particularly since their people had tended to be somewhat pompous before the War changed them all.

“We were wondering if you might fancy taking a trip with us.” Astraea said with a gentle smile. “As a way for us thank you. Because you’re the reason I still have my fiancé and our daughter.”

“And Ada has a brand new sonic screwdriver that he’s been itching to field test.” Aludra piped up helpfully, looking at Martha with a hopeful expression on her face.

“What, into _space_?” Martha asked in disbelief, her eyebrows raised.

“Well…” The Doctor said, trailing off with a nod.

“I can’t.” She said regretfully, looking utterly torn, wanting to say yes but being held back by her responsibilities. Seeing their hopeful expressions fall, she hurried to try and explain, “I've got exams. I've got things to do. I have to go into town first thing and pay the rent, I've got my family going mad.”

“If it helps, we can travel in time as well.” The Doctor said, hope once again blooming on his face once he realized that it was because of her responsibilities that she was saying no.

“Get out of here.” Martha said, not believing him _at all_.

“We can.” The Doctor insisted, Astraea and Aludra a bit too preoccupied with giggling to be of much help.

“Come on now, that is going too far.” Martha said incredulously, not about to let the three beautiful strangers take the mickey out of her.

“Well then, we’ll just have to prove it.” Astraea said, opening the door and stepping inside. “Come on my loves.”

She was followed by the Doctor and Aludra, the door closing behind them. Martha watched, her expression going from incredulous to stunned as the box dematerialized with a loud wheezing sound. She shook her head and stepped forward, waving her hand in the area the blue box had been only to find that there was nothing but air. The box really had disappeared.

Hearing the wheezing sound once again a second later and feeling the rushing wind blow around her, she stepped back as the blue box rematerialized. The Doctor stepped out holding his tie followed by Astraea with only one earring and Aludra playing with her necklace.

“Told you.” The Doctor said with a grin, putting his tie back on.

“My earring please.” Astraea said with a smile, holding her hand out to the stunned medical student.

“No… But…” Martha stammered, numbly pulling the gold earring out of her jacket pocket and handing it over to the Time Lady. “That was this morning.”

“Yes, it was.” Aludra said with a smile as Astraea put her earring back on before turning to fix the Doctor’s tie.

“But… Did you?” Martha stammered, her eyes wide in shock. “Oh, my God you can travel in time!” Her shock faded into a frown, confusion playing across her face. “But hold on. If you could see me this morning, why didn't you tell me not to go in to work?”

“Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden.” The Doctor said, almost sounding as though he were repeating something he had been told repeatedly.

“Except for cheap tricks.” Astraea said with a grin, nudging the Doctor playfully in reminder of all the times they had bent the rules without outright breaking them.

“And that’s your spaceship?” Martha asked in amazement, stepping towards the TARDIS.

“She’s called the TARDIS.” Aludra explained, enjoying the expressions of wonder and amazement that were playing across the other woman’s face. “Time and Relative Dimensions In Space.”

“Your spaceship’s made of wood.” Martha said dryly, touching the wooden panel lightly. She looked back at the trio, a single eyebrow raised. “There’s not much room. We’d be a bit… snug.”

“Take a look.” Astraea said, opening the door and allowing the human inside.

Martha stepped inside and her jaw dropped in shock at the size of the interior. The Doctor, Astraea and Aludra walked in behind her, watching her reaction with small smiles on their faces.

“No, no, no.” Martha stammered, turning around and running back outside. “But it’s just a box.” She looked on either side of the outside before looking back inside. “But it’s huge! How does it do that?” She knocked on the side panel. “It’s wood. It’s like a box with a room just rammed in.”

“There’s so much more than just one room inside.” Aludra said, perched on the railing with a bright grin on her face as Martha stepped back inside.

“It’s bigger on the inside.” Martha breathed as the three travellers mouthed along, her gaze going everywhere as she tried to take everything in.

“Is it?” The Doctor asked as Astraea shut the door behind them. He pulled off his coat and tossed it over a Y-beam. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“Right then, let’s get going.” Aludra said brightly, hopping off the railing and darting up towards the console.

“But is there a crew, like a navigator and stuff?” Martha asked as the Doctor and Astraea began setting up the controls while Aludra watched with keen eyes. “Where is everyone?”

“It’s just us.” Aludra chirped, glancing at the other woman before looking back at what her parents were doing.

“Just the three of you? Martha asked, feeling a wave of concern wash over her at the thought of these beautiful strangers being alone. “All on your own?”

“Sometimes we have our family travel with us. And occasionally, we travel with some friends.” Astraea said, shooting Martha a small smile. “Recently, our god-sister, Rose, travelled with us for a time.”

“Where is she now?” Martha asked curiously.

“With family.” The Doctor replied, his tone filled with pain as he worked the controls with a narrow-minded focus.

“She’s _fine_.” Aludra said, more to the Doctor in gentle reminder as she took his hand. “She’s safe.”

“ _Not_ that you’re replacing her.” The Doctor said adamantly, looking at Martha pointedly.

“Never said I was.” Martha replied casually.

“Just _one_ trip to say thanks.” The Doctor continued firmly, pulling the monitor towards him and setting the controls. “Just _one_ trip, then back home. I’d rather it just be family.”

“Well, technically Ada, you’re the one that kissed _Martha_.” Aludra said teasingly, winking at Astraea and Martha.

“Aludra’s right.” Martha said with a teasing grin.

“ _That_ was a genetic transfer!” The Doctor snapped adamantly.

“And if you’ll wear a tight suit…” Martha added, running her gaze over his trim form flattered by the suit.

“Now don’t.” The Doctor warned, growing uncomfortable.

“And then travel all the way across the Universe _just_ to ask me on a date.” Martha continued, grinning teasingly as Astraea and Aludra snickered quietly in the background.

“Stop it.” The Doctor said, very close to actually whining with a very uncomfortable look on his face.

Martha, seeing the increasingly uncomfortable look on his face, backed away and raised her hands in surrender.

“Relax Doctor, I was just teasing you.” Martha said reassuringly. “And for the record, I’m not remotely interested. I only go for _humans_.”

“Good.” The Doctor said, walking around the console and stepping up behind Astraea, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Because I already have a Soul Bonded who is my soul.”

“And you are mine, my love.” Astraea said tenderly, leaning to the side so she could look up at him.

He beamed brightly and bent down to kiss her, both of them still back to chest.

“Soul Bonded?” Martha asked Aludra curiously, a small smile on her face as she watched the couple kiss.

“We believe that there is one person out there in all of Creation that is our perfect match.” Aludra explained. “Our Soul Bonded. The one person who understands us, completes us and was created just for us.”

“Sounds romantic.” Martha said, an almost wistful tone to her voice.

“In a way, it is.” Aludra agreed, nodding. “But at the same time, it isn’t.  Did you notice that even though it was Ada’s blood that Miss. Finnegan assimilated, Nana was also unconscious?”

“Yeah, I did.” Martha replied, nodding slowly. “I thought that was because she had been knocked out before Miss. Finnegan began to drink the Doctor’s blood.”

“No, Nana lost conscious _because_ Miss. Finnegan was drinking Ada’s blood.” Aludra said softly. Martha looked at her in confusion, not entirely sure she understood. “What happens to one, happens to the other.”

“Are you saying that…?” Martha started, her eyes widening in shocked disbelief as she looked between Aludra and the couple still kissing softly, completely unaware of their surroundings. “If one dies, the other will as well?”

“It’s more than that.” Aludra said. “If one even gets _hurt_ , the other will as well.”

“I don’t know if that’s romantic anymore.” Martha muttered, leaning against the console, completely shell shocked.

“Don’t let the downside of the Soul Bond influence you Martha.” Aludra said wisely. “There are just as many upsides to it, if not more.” She smiled brightly at the dark-skinned woman. “Like, knowing that wherever you are, you are never alone. Always knowing where the other is and how they are. Always having that reassuring presence of your love for one another.”

“That sounds amazing.” Martha said with a small smile, the wistful look back in her eyes.

“It is.” Aludra said with a smile before turning her attention to her parents, waving in their general direction with exasperation clear on her face. “Except when you have to see that all the time. Guys!” Astraea and the Doctor broke apart, turning to look at their daughter with raised eyebrows. “Martha’s trip, remember? We wanted to say thank you for saving us and instead the two of are making out!”

By the time she finished, Aludra had an appropriately disgusted look on her face which would have been real, if not for the glimmer of mirth that shone on her sapphire eyes.

“Like you don’t get up to far more with Adam, missy.” Astraea said, looking pointedly at her daughter with a smile as she and the Doctor separated.

Aludra stuck her tongue out at them as they moved back to the console, taking up positions next to each other while Aludra and Martha stepped up opposite them.

“Well, then. Close down the gravitic anomaliser.” The Doctor said, flipping a lever enthusiastically.

“Fire up the helmic regulator.” Aludra called, pressing a sequence of buttons.

“And finally… the hand brake.” Astraea said, grabbing a lever and flipping it.

“Are you ready?” Aludra asked as the Doctor put his hand on another lever.

“No.” Martha said, shaking her head though she had a wide smile on her face.

“Off we go!” The Doctor called, flipping the lever and sending them into the Vortex with a big jolt.

He was tossed back on to the jump seat while the three women were sent to the ground. Scrambling up against the jolting, they clung to the console as they hurtled through the Vortex.

“Blimey, it’s a bit bumpy!” Martha exclaimed, gripping tightly.

“Welcome aboard Miss. Jones.” The Doctor said with a grin, holding his hand out to her.

“It’s my pleasure, Mr. Smith.” Martha replied with a grin of her own, taking his hand and shaking it. She turned to Astraea and Aludra who were on the other side of the console and a bit too far away for her to reach. “Mrs. Smith, Dr. Jones.”

“Charmed to meet you, Miss. Jones.” Astraea said, beaming brightly.

“Pleasure to have you with us, Miss. Jones.” Aludra said, grinning brightly.

_Links:_

_*Mica and David bracelets (with their names engraved) -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/362399101254480329/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/362399101254480329/)

 _*Aludra antique pendant necklace -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/569916527823245590/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/569916527823245590/)

 _*Astraea sari and jewellery (hair in a braid, a light pink ribbon interwoven through the bottom half) -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879474800838/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879474800838/)

_**Astraea’s hair is like Elsa’s from Once Upon a Time Season 4._

_*Astraea bindi (light pink) -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478522390/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478522390/)

 _*Astraea shoes -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879479428918/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879479428918/)

 _*Astraea drawstring bag -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879480736378/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879480736378/)

_*Aludra outfit (sapphire blue blouse with black blazer and black pumps) -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879480959201/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879480959201/)

 _*Aludra purse -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477252973/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477252973/)

 _*Astraea 2_ _nd_ _lehenga (amethyst purple and gold) with gold hoop earrings -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879480864965/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879480864965/)

 _*Astraea shoes (amethyst purple) -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879479055920/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879479055920/)

_** Bindi is the same leaf, in different colours to correspond with the clothes, unless otherwise stated._

_*Aludra lehenga -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879474871993/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879474871993/)

 _*Aludra shoes -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477466395/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477466395/)


	3. The Shakespeare Code

**The Shakespeare Code**

The Doctor and Astraea worked in hurried unison as the TARDIS shook violently as they soared through the Vortex, Martha and Aludra clinging to the console tightly. The two younger women had already been thrown to the floor several times, Aludra finding it incredibly funny and much more used to the shaky trips than Martha.

“But  _ how _ do you travel in time?” Martha asked, gasping as another jolt hit them and tightened her grip on the console. “What makes it go?”

“Oh, let’s take the fun and mystery out of everything.” The Doctor snarked, rapidly turning a wheel on the console. “Martha, you really don’t want to know, it just does.”

“Honey, you’re being rude.” Astraea called from the other side of the console, pressing buttons and spinning another wheel rapidly.

“He means that now really isn’t the best time to be asking.” Aludra explained.

“Hold on tight!” Astraea called as the Doctor practically climbed the console trying to reach a switch that was just out of reach.

Astraea leaned over and hit it, sending them out of the Vortex and to their desired coordinates. They were all thrown off the console as they landed, the Doctor catching himself on the pillar behind him, Astraea falling onto the jump seat while Aludra and Martha ended up on the floor.

“All things considered, that was actually quite smooth.” Aludra remarked, laughing lightly as she pulled herself off the floor.

“Blimey!” Martha exclaimed in surprise as she and Aludra got to their feet. “Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?”

“Yes.” Astraea said, grabbing her purple beaded antique-style clutch purse*.

“And I failed it.” The Doctor added, grabbing his coat and putting it on. “Now make the most of it. We promised you one trip, and one trip only.” He hurried down the ramp and stood in front of the door, turning to face Martha with a bright grin. “Outside this door, brave new world.”

“Where are we?” Martha asked excitedly, grabbing her jacket.

“Take a look.” Aludra said beaming, grabbing her antique aquamarine beaded purse* off the Y-beam.

“After you, Miss Jones.” Astraea said invitingly, gesturing to the door the Doctor opened.

“Why thank you, Mrs. Smith.” Martha said with a mock curtsy, looking at the trio with nervous excitement. She walked towards the door and stepped out, the trio behind her, the Doctor closing the TARDIS door. “Oh, you’re  _ kidding  _ me.” Her jaw dropped at the sight before them – Elizabethan London at night. Laundry hung on lines below overhanging eves above them, peasants were rushing about attending to their tasks while scruffy urchins ran around. Martha looked around, completely stunned. “You are  _ so  _ kidding me.” The Doctor, Astraea and Aludra grinned at each other, watching the young medical student’s reaction. “Oh, my God! We did it. We travelled in time. Where are we?” Before any of them could answer, she added, “No, sorry. I gotta get used to this, whole new language.  _ When _ are we?”

“Mind the loo!” A man called in warning from an upper story window.

Aludra glanced up and quickly grabbed Martha’s arm, pulling her back just as the man tossed the foul-smelling contents of his slop bucket out into the street.

“Somewhere before the invention of the toilet, apparently.” Aludra said, wrinkling her nose delicately in disgust.

“Sorry about that.” The Doctor said apologetically, a grimace on his face as he wrapped his arm around Astraea’s waist.

“I’ve seen worse.” Martha said reassuringly, completely unfazed. “I've worked the late night shift A&E.” Astraea and Aludra exchanged looks, impressed that she wasn’t squeamish. The Doctor and Astraea began walking forward when Martha called out in concern, “But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?”

“Of course we can.” The Doctor replied, he and Astraea turning to look at her. “Why do you ask?”

“It’s like in the films.” Martha explained fervently. “You step on a butterfly, you change the future of the Human Race.”

“The Butterfly Effect.” Aludra said in understanding. She looked up at the young woman beside her reassuringly, “Don’t worry, that’s not real.”

“And tell you what, don’t step on any butterflies.” The Doctor added, resuming his walk. “What have butterflies ever done to you?”

“What if, I dunno, what if I kill my grandfather?” Martha asked persistently, walking behind him and Astraea with Aludra.

“Are you planning to?” The Doctor asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No.” Martha replied slowly.

“You don’t have anything to worry about.” Astraea said reassuringly. “If anything happens that can cause a change in the timelines, we’ll let you know.”

“Okay.” Martha agreed before looking around at her surroundings, truly taking in the sights. “So, this is London?”

“I think so.” Astraea replied, looking around and taking note of the way the people were attired. “Circa 1599 or so.”

“Oh, but hold on.” Martha said, looking slightly worried. “Am I all right?” They stopped walking and the Doctor Astraea turned to look at her. “I’m not going to get carted off as a slave, am I?”

“Why would they do that?” The Doctor asked, genuinely confused.

“I’m not exactly white, in case you haven’t noticed.” Martha replied, gesturing to her face pointedly.

“We’re not even human.” The Doctor said with a dismissive shrug, gesturing to himself and Astraea.

“Do what Ada does, walk around like you own the place.” Aludra said cheerfully as they resumed walking once more. “Works for him, for the most part.”

“Besides, you’d be surprised… Elizabethan England, not so different from your time.” The Doctor added. “Look over there.” He pointed to a man shovelling horse manure into a bucket. “They’re got recycling.”

“Water cooler moment.” Astraea said with a giggle, nodding to two men talking next to a water barrel.

“…and the world will be consumed by flame!” A preacher cried out to the passing crowd.

“Global warming.” The Doctor said quietly to Martha and Aludra, nodding to the preacher. Astraea giggled quietly at the baffled look on the preacher’s face as they walked passed. He bounded ahead, pulling Astraea along and turned to look at Martha and Aludra, practically skipping with delight. “Oh, yes, and… entertainment! Popular entertainment for the masses. If I’m right…” He looked around at their surroundings as Martha pulled on her jacket. “We’re just down the river, by Southwark, right next to…” They ran around the corner and stopped, gazing up at the great round white building that rose in the distance. “Oh yes! The Globe Theatre!”

“Oh, it’s beautiful.” Aludra breathed, gazing up at the theatre with sparkling sapphire blue eyes.

“Yes it is and it only just opened.” Astraea explained, her gaze also on the Theatre as wonder and amazement played across her features just as it did for Martha and Aludra.

“Though, strictly speaking, it’s not a globe; it’s a tetra-decagon, 14 side, containing…” The Doctor said, pivoting on the balls of his feet and looking at the three women, grinning smugly. “The man himself.”

“Whoa… you don’t mean…?” Martha started, trailing off with wide eyes.

“Ada, is Shakespeare there?” Aludra asked excitedly, looking between her father and the Theatre in the distance.

“Oh, yes!” The Doctor said, grinning at the excitement. He turned to Astraea, his grin becoming a tender smile as he held his elbow out to her, “My lady, will you accompany me to the theatre?”

“Why, kind sir, I shall.” Astraea replied with a bright smile, looping her arm through his offered elbow and slinging the chain of her purse onto her other shoulder.

“Dr. Jones, will you accompany me to the theatre?” Martha asked, turning to Aludra and offering the smaller woman her elbow.

“Why, Miss. Jones, I would be honoured to.” Aludra replied, smiling brightly as she looped her arm through Martha’s and looped the chain of her own purse onto her shoulder.

“When you go home, you girls could tell everyone you’ve seen Shakespeare!” The Doctor said as they began walking towards the Globe.

“And then, we could get sectioned!” Martha said cheerfully.

Astraea and Aludra giggled, nodding in agreement.

The four entered the packed theatre in time to see the opening scene of ‘Love’s Labours Lost’ being performed on stage. Squeezing their way to the middle of the crowd in the pit in front of the stage, they were completely enraptured by the play.

At its end, they watched the actors take their final bows as the crowd cheered and applauded enthusiastically.

“That's amazing!” Martha said, standing between the Doctor and Aludra and applauding with the rest of the crowd. “Just amazing. It's worth putting up with the smell.” She glanced at the actors, eyeing the ones in dresses and period gowns. “And those are men dressed as women, yeah?”

“London never changes.” Astraea remarked glibly, standing on the Doctor’s other side.

“Where’s Shakespeare?” Aludra asked as the actors waved at the crowd.

“Yeah, I wanna see Shakespeare.” Martha said. She raised her voice and shouted, “Author! Author!” The Doctor looked down at her and she looked back sheepishly, asking quietly, “Do people do that? Do they shout ‘Author’?”

“Author!” A man behind them shouted. “Author!”

“They do now.” Aludra remarked in amusement as the chant was picked up and echoed by the crowd.

A man jumped on stage from behind, giving an exaggerated bow and blowing kisses to the rapturously applauding audience.

“He’s a bit different to his portraits.” Martha commented, eyeing the man who was exuding an aura of charm and pride that bordered on arrogance.

“Genius. He’s a genius –  _ the  _ genius.” The Doctor babbled excitedly as William clapped hands with the people in the first few rows. “The most _ human _ human there's ever been. Now we're going to hear him  _ speak _ . Always he chooses the best words. New, beautiful,  _ brilliant _ words.”

“Shut your big fat mouths!” William called, sending up a wave of laughter from the crowd.

“Oh, well.” The Doctor said, looking disappointed as his excited grin faded.

“Oh yeah, ‘new, beautiful, brilliant words’.” Astraea said sarcastically, laughing at his expression and patting his arm sympathetically.

“That’s why you should never meet your heroes, Ada.” Aludra said, giggling lightly.

“That doesn’t help me feel better, honey.” The Doctor said, looking over Martha’s head and pouting at his daughter.

“And what will,  _ Annwyl _ ?” Astraea asked, making him turn to her.

He tapped his cheek in response, leaning down slightly. She laughed and reached up to kiss his cheek, only for him to turn his head at the last second and seal his lips over hers in a gentle kiss. She smiled against his lips and pulled away before he could deepen it, making him pout adorably.

“Later.” She said quietly, her voice filled with promise.

“I’ll hold you to that.” He said with a hint of playful warning in his tone, wrapping his arms around her waist and shifting her so that she was in front of him.

“You've got excellent taste!” William shouted, drawing their attention back to the crowd. The Doctor gently rested his chin on Astraea’s head as she leaned back against his chest. “I'll give you that.” He pointed to a man near the front. “Oh, that’s a wig!”

“Picking on the man in the front?” Aludra remarked, a small, wry smile forming on her face as the crowd laughed. “Didn’t realize it went back this far.”

“I know what you’re all saying.” William continued, causing the laughter to quiet down. “‘Love’s Labour's Lost, that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops!” He snapped his fingers in emphasis as the crowd agreed. “Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon!”

“When?” The audience called in near chant. “When?”

“All in good time. You don't rush a genius.” William replied, bowing almost humbly in contradiction to his prideful words.

Suddenly, he straightened up almost rigidly. Astraea frowned, feeling a sense of unease pool in her gut at the near blank look on the playwright’s face. Glancing at Aludra out of the corner of her eye, she saw that her daughter had noticed the same thing.

“What is it?” The Doctor whispered quietly in Astraea’s ear, noticing the frown on her face.

“I don’t know.” Astraea whispered back. “Something doesn’t feel right about William’s expression. It’s too… blank.”

“When?” William repeated the audience’s chant. “Tomorrow night!” The audience cheered enthusiastically while behind him, his actors look stunned. The playwright himself was also stunned at his own words, noticed by none except for Astraea, the Doctor and Aludra who exchanged looks. “The premiere of my brand new play! A sequel, no less, and I call it ‘Love’s Labours Won’!”

The audience cheered excitedly at the news.

“You saw it too, my love?” The Doctor whispered in Astraea’s ear.

“Yes, I did.” Astraea whispered back, nodding slightly. “Something isn’t right. Very,  _ very _ not right.”

The couple clapped with the rest of the audience as William and the actors bowed once more before leaving the stage. The crowd buzzed with excitement as they all filed out of the theatre, talking about the play they had just seen and the one that would be premiering the next night.

“I’m not an expert, but I’ve never heard of ‘Love’s Labours Won’.” Martha commented as they filed out with the crowd, her arm looped with Aludra’s while the Doctor and Astraea walked arm-in-arm on Aludra’s other side.

“It’s mentioned in the compiled list of his plays dating as far back as 1603, but there has never been a copy of it nor has there ever been any indication of it having been performed.” Aludra said, making sure to keep her voice low so as not to draw attention. Martha stared at her dubiously, wondering how she would know that. Seeing the look, Aludra smiled sweetly and said, “I know everything.” Martha added a raised eyebrow to the dubious look and Aludra sighed, a small pout forming on her face. “And I did my Archival Sciences Masters thesis paper on Shakespeare.”

“We also had a very enthusiastic English teacher all through high school.” Astraea added dryly, remembering their English classes at Rydal Penrhos, the boarding school the three Jones’ sisters had attended from nursery until graduating high school at 18.

“That too.” Aludra agreed, nodding.

Martha looked at the two thoughtfully for a few seconds, the mystery surrounding the family just getting deeper the more she learned about them.

“Have you got a mini-disc or something?” Martha asked excitedly, only half-joking as she pulled herself away from her thoughts of the mystery that surrounded the trio. “We can tape it. We can flog it. Sell it when we get home and make a  _ mint _ .”

“No.” The Doctor replied, looking over Aludra’s head at her.

“That would be bad.” Martha acknowledged.

“Yup.” Aludra said, popping the ‘p’. “They were even careful whenever they took photos and videos of me when I was small. With most parents, the camera is never far from being trained on the children, documenting  _ everything _ . But with time travel, things can be a bit more dangerous if the wrong person notices the technology or if it gets misplaced in the wrong time period.”

“You mean like a 21 st Century camera getting misplaced in a time period like this one.” Martha stated rather than asked.

“Basically.” The Doctor said, nodding.

“But how come the play disappeared in the first place?” Martha asked curiously, looking more at Aludra than at the couple.

“That’s the thing, no one knows.” Aludra replied, shrugging delicately.

“Well…” The Doctor started ponderingly. “I  _ was _ just gonna give you a quick little trip in the TARDIS but I suppose… we could stay a  _ bit _ longer.”

“Really, Ada?” Aludra asked excitedly, her eyes sparkling with her excitement.

“Yes, my dear.” The Doctor said with a light laugh. “We can stay a little longer to solve the mystery.”

“And to start with, let’s go meet William Shakespeare.” Astraea said, an indulgent smile on her face as a bright smile crossed Aludra’s own features. She moved her dupatta from her neck to her shoulder, tying it across her chest like a sash so that it somewhat covered the exposed expanse of her lower abdomen.

“Yes!” Aludra exclaimed cheerfully as he led them towards The Elephant, the only lodging house and tavern in the near vicinity of the theatre and the most likely place for William and his cast mates to be staying in. “I can’t wait ‘till we get home and I can tell Adam I met Shakespeare!”

“Has Adam met Shakespeare?” The Doctor asked curiously, a fond smile playing at his lips as he took in his daughter all but dragging an unresisting Martha along in front of them.

“Adam hasn’t, but Duncan has.” Aludra replied, pivoting on the balls of her feet and walking backwards while Martha kept an arm around her waist to keep the younger woman from tripping over her skirt.

Martha looked at the three of them, wondering what they were talking about before shrugging it off, assuming that it was probably other time travellers.

Reaching the invitingly warm lodging house, the Doctor took the lead with Astraea, finding out which room William was in before the couple led the way up the cramped and narrow stairs.

“I’ve just got the final scene to go.” William was saying, the voice filtering out through the open door. “You’ll get it by morning.”

“Hello!” The Doctor said cheerfully, knocking on the open door with his free hand, the other arm around Astraea’s waist. “Excuse me, not interrupting, are we?” The couple walked into the room with Aludra and Martha mostly hidden behind the Time Lord’s back, both quite flustered at the playwright’s presence. “Mr. Shakespeare, isn't it?”

"Oh no, no, no, no." William moaned, turning his head to the side and tiredly putting his hand to his forehead. "Who let you in? No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest. Now be good and shove…" He turned to look at the couple and caught sight of Martha and Aludra peeking out hopefully from behind the Doctor’s back, small, bashful smiles on their faces. “Hey, nonny,  _ nonny _ …” He looked at the two women, completely captivated. “Sit right down here next to me.” He looked at the two men sitting across from him at the table. “You two get sewing on them costumes, off you go.”

“Come on, lads.” The landlady, Dolly Bailey, remarked with a light laugh, clearing up the table and ushering the two men out with her. “I think our William has found his new muses.”

“Sweet ladies.” William said, his voice dripping with charm as he gestured to the chairs across from him at the table. “Such unusual clothes. So…” He smiled as he ran his gaze over Martha and Aludra’s forms, taking in the way Martha’s clothes flattered her figure while Aludra’s teasingly hinted at what lay beneath the delicately embroidered fabric. “Fitted and… open.”

Martha and Aludra sat down at the offered chairs, the former clearly looking flattered while the latter tried to form coherent thoughts in the presence of one of her favourite writers. The Doctor sat down on the third and pulled Astraea onto his lap before she could sit on the remaining chair, both smiling indulgently at the uncharacteristically flustered expression on their daughter’s face.

Aludra rarely, if ever, became flustered over anything except Adam. Not even the man from Cardiff she calls ‘Captain Cheesecake’ garnered such an expression, and from the stories they had been told about the man, he sounded a lot like Jack had been – flirting with anything that moved, had moved or was inclined to move at any point in the future.

“Er, verily, forsooth, egads.” Martha said in an attempt to mimic the time period’s speech patterns.

“No, no, don’t do that.” The Doctor muttered quietly to her, rolling his eyes while Astraea winced sympathetically, both remembering a similar incident with Rose in Scotland. He pulled out his psychic paper and showed it to the playwright, saying, “We’re Sir Doctor, Baronetess Astraea and Lady Aludra of TARDIS and this is our Companion, Miss. Martha Jones.”

“Interesting, that bit of paper.” William said, pointing at the paper. “It's blank.”

“Finally!” Astraea cheered happily, looking at her fiancé with a grin on her face. “Someone other than Aludra and I who sees it as blank!”

“Oh, that’s… very clever.” The Doctor said, grinning and looking impressed. “That proves it. Absolute genius.”

William nodded, clearly used to being referred to as such. He glanced at the paper once more before turning his gaze onto Aludra, surveying her intently. She blushed under the scrutiny but held his gaze, smiling and nodding politely.

“It’s-It’s truly an honour to meet you, sir.” Aludra said, stammering slightly before regaining her self-confidence.

“I assure you, the pleasure is all mine, Lady Aludra.” William said, practically purring and oozing charm.

“But it says so right there.” Martha said, looking at the paper and drawing the playwright’s attention. “Sir Doctor, Baronetess Astraea, Lady Aludra, Martha Jones. It says so.”

“And I say it’s blank.” William argued.

“Psychic paper.” The Doctor said. “Um… long story. Oh, I hate starting from scratch.” He groaned as he pocketed the billfold.

“The paper shows whatever the holder wishes.” Astraea explained, slapping her fiancé lightly on the arm before looking towards the slightly confused Londoner. “But you have to be careful when handling it. You can’t let your mind wander, you never know what you might let slip.”

“Wasn’t that long, Ada.” Aludra said, snickering quietly and looking towards her father.

“Psychic.” William said, leaning back in his chair and surveying the quartet in front of him. “Never heard that before and words are my trade. Who are you exactly? And more to the point,” he rested his cheek on his fist, gazing at Aludra and Martha. “Who is your heart-stopping Celtic maiden and delicious blackamoor lady?”

Martha stared at William dumbfounded while Aludra looked confused, wondering why the playwright was gazing at them the way he was.

“What did you say?” Martha asked, her eyebrow raised.

“Aludra is our daughter.” The Doctor said with a protective look in his eyes as Astraea discretely tightened the hold she had around his shoulders to keep him from rising. “And she’s spoken for.”

“Oops.” William said, shrugging lightly and smiling to show that he meant no ill-will. He wasn’t a fool, he recognized the look of a protective father who would never allow any to tarnish his daughter’s reputation. He turned his attention to Martha. “Isn’t that a word we use nowadays? An Ethiop girl? A swarth? A Queen of Afric?”

The Doctor and Astraea exchanged looks, amused now that their daughter wasn’t on the receiving end of the flirty playwright’s attentions. 

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this.” Martha said, her eyebrows raised in amusement.

“When we get home, you can tell everyone that Shakespeare flirted with you.” Aludra said brightly, grinning at Martha.

“And then I can get sectioned.” Martha said cheerfully, repeating what she had said earlier.

“It’s political correctness gone mad.” The Doctor said, rubbing his eye with two fingers. He didn’t bother telling Aludra that the playwright had been flirting with her as well, since she wouldn’t believe it. “Um, we’re from a far-off land. Freedonia.”

“Excuse me!” A male voice called. They turned to the voice and saw a man dressed in expensive clothes, wearing a gold chain of office around his neck, enter the room. “Hold hard a moment! This is abominable behaviour. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mr Shakespeare.” William rubbed his forehead exasperatedly while the Doctor looked at the new arrival with a raised eyebrow. “As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed.”

Astraea noticed the pretty tavern maid, Lilith, stop her tasks and discretely watch the man rant.

“Tomorrow morning, first thing, I’ll send it ‘round.” William said reassuringly.

“I don’t work to your schedule, you work to mine.” The Master of the Revels said, looking offended at the implications. “The script, now!”

“I can’t!” William snapped, glaring at the other man.

“Then tomorrow’s performance is cancelled.” The Master of the Revels said with finality.

“It’s all go ‘round here, innit?” Martha remarked quietly, exchanging a look with Aludra as Lilith quietly slipped out of the room.

“I’m returning to my office for a banning order.” The Master continued, ignoring Martha’s quip and the playwright’s other three guests. “If it’s the last thing I do, ‘Love’s Labours Won’ will never be played.”

He turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, the sounds of him clattering down the stairs echoing up through the open door.

“Was that…?” Aludra asked ponderingly, pointing towards the door while looking at William.

“Mr. Lynley, the official censor from the Lord Chamberlain’s office.” William confirmed, nodding. “The Master of the Revels.”

“Cheerful fellow.” Aludra remarked dryly.

Martha snorted in amusement, taking a sip from her tankard.

“Well, that the ‘Love’s Labours Won’ mystery over and done with.” Martha remarked. “I thought it’d be something more, you know… more mysterious.”

In response, Astraea and Aludra groaned in unison.

“You just had to say it.” Aludra said, shaking her head. “Every time anyone says soothing like that, the Fates just love proving us wrong.”

As if to prove Aludra’s point, a scream pierced the air.

“Help me!” A woman screamed, terror echoing in her voice.

“Kind of like that.” Astraea said as they all shot to their feet and darted out of the door.

They ran out of the lodging house and into the courtyard, skidding to a stop as they saw Lynley gripping his throat, staggering as water spewed from his lips.

“It’s that Lynley bloke.” Martha said, recognizing the man.

Lynley gagged as more water spewed from his lips.

“What’s wrong with him?” The Doctor asked as Dolly Bailey ran up and stopped beside them. Lynley stumbled and coughed, more and more water spewing from his mouth. “Leave it to me, I’m a doctor.”

The Doctor ran towards Lynley, catching him as he stumbled.

“So am I.” Martha said, darting forward and supporting the staggering man on the other side. “Near enough.”

“Me too, sort of.” Aludra said, darting forward just as Lynley gasped, as another spray of water gushing from his mouth.

Aludra stepped to the side so she wouldn’t get sprayed as Lynley jerked before collapsing, becoming limp in their arms. The three of them carefully set the man onto the ground and Martha pressed her ear to his chest, trying to hear for a heartbeat.

Astraea stayed back, a few feet in front of William and Dolly Bailey and close enough to hear if the Doctor or the girls said anything while still staying out of the way.

“Gotta get the heart going.” Martha said, not hearing any heartbeat.

The Doctor stood up and looked around, trying to see if there was anything that struck out as suspicious. He looked at Astraea, a questioning look on his face as he silently asked her if she noticed anything and she shook her head sadly.

“Mr. Lynley, come on.” Aludra called, tapping the man’s cheek. “Can you hear us?”

“You’re going to be all right.” Martha said, starting to clear the unconscious man’s airways for CPR.

The Doctor crouched back down just as Martha was about to start CPR when water began gushing out from Lynley’s mouth.

“What in Arawn’s name was that?!” Aludra cried in surprise, barely managing to keep her voice low so they wouldn’t the locals.

“I’ve never seen a death like it.” The Doctor said quietly, a frown on his face as Astraea moved forward and kneeled by the man’s head. “His lungs are full of water.”

“It’s all the signs of a drowning.” Astraea remarked just as quietly, motioning to the residual water that covered the area around the man’s face.

“But that’s not what killed him.” Aludra said, looking at her mother and speaking just as quietly. “He jerked like he had been stabbed.”

“An invisible blow to the heart.” The Doctor mused quietly before rising to his feet and walking up to Dolly Bailey. “Good Mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humours. A natural, if unfortunate, demise. Call a constable and have him taken away.”

“Yes, sir.” Dolly Bailey said, nodding.

“I’ll do it ma’am.’ Lilith said quietly, getting a nod from Dolly Bailey before she turned away.

“Why are you telling them that?” Martha asked quietly as the Doctor crouched back down beside them.

“They still have one foot in the Dark Ages.” Astraea explained quietly. “If we tell them the truth, they’ll panic and think it was witchcraft.”

“Okay, what was it, then?” Martha asked.

“Witchcraft.” The Doctor said darkly.

He rose to his feet and held a hand out to Astraea. She took it and he helped her to her feet while Martha rose as well. Giving Lynley on last look, Aludra gently closed the man’s eyes before rising to her feet. With tired sighs, they went back inside, William leading them back up to his room.

William rubbed the bridge of his nose and sat down in front of the desk, watching as the Doctor, Astraea, Aludra and Martha entered the room behind him and stood on one side.

“I got you a room, Sir Doctor, Baronetess Astraea.” Dolly Bailey said softly, having followed them up the stairs and stopped in the doorway of the room. “You both, Lady Aludra and Miss Jones are just across the landing.”

“Thank you, Miss Dolly.” Astraea said, smiling tiredly at the woman and letting the Doctor wrap his arms around her, holding her closely.

“Poor Lynley.” William said softly as Dolly made her way back downstairs. “So many strange events.” He looked at Martha and Aludra as he continued, “Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where women can be doctors?”

“Where a woman can do what she likes.” Martha retorted coolly, crossing her arms over her chest.

“And be who she  _ is _ rather than what society dictates her to be.” Aludra added.

“And you, Sir Doctor, Baronetess Astraea.” William said, turning to the couple. “How can a man and a woman so young have eyes so old?”

“We do a lot of reading.” The Doctor replied dryly.

“A trite reply.” William said with a small smile, nodding slowly. “Yeah, that’s what I’d do.” He looked back at Martha, the smile still playing at his lips. “And Martha, you look at the three of them like you’re surprises they exist. They’re as much of a puzzle to you as they are to me.”

“I think we should say goodnight.” Martha said impassively, smiling politely at the playwright before walking towards the door. “Come on, Aludra. Let’s go find out what our room is like.”

“Good night, sir.” Aludra said, looking at William with a smile before following Martha out of the room.

“I must to work.” William said, looking over his shoulder at the parchment that littered his desk. “I have a play to complete.” He got to his feet, sighing heavily as he walked around the table. “I’ll get my answers tomorrow Doctor, Astraea.” The Doctor and Astraea smiled softly, walking towards the door before stopping in the doorway to look back at the playwright. “And I’ll discover more about you and why this constant performance of yours.”

“‘All the world’s a stage’.” Astraea quoted, a small smile playing at her lips.

“Hmm. I might use that.” William said thoughtfully. “Goodnight Doctor, Astraea.”

“Nighty-night Shakespeare.” The Doctor replied, walking away from William’s room and across the landing into the one he and Astraea were sharing with Martha and Aludra.

They walked in to see Aludra was perched on the window sill, gazing out at the full moon that hung in the sky while Martha held up a candle to inspect the cupboard.

The room was sparsely furnished with a cupboard in one wall, two small cots side-by-side in front of the wall opposite the door with a nightstand in between the two. Along the wall opposite the window was a long chest that held a bowl of water and jug for washing and a few towels stacked neatly. The room had small torches hanging around the walls, burning low with most of the light being supplied by the moon outside and the candle in Martha’s hand.

“Not exactly 5-star, is it.” Martha remarked when she saw them, closing the cupboard door gently.

“Oh, it’ll do.” The Doctor said shrugging lightly. “We’ve seen worse.”

“We’ve  _ been _ in worse.” Astraea remarked, sitting down on one of the cots.

“Really, when?” Aludra asked, looking over at her parents curiously.

“When your eldest sister was born.” Astraea replied softly, a sad look in her eye. She leaned back against the headrest while the Doctor sat down at the foot of the bed, laying on his back and resting his head on her lap. “We were stuck in a foxhole, surrounded by natives that were eager to sacrifice me to their Gods in tribute for a bountiful harvest. Your sister decided that was when she wanted to greet the Universe.”

“That is  _ so _ like Mayra.” Aludra said dryly, rolling her eyes as she remembered just how much of a drama queen her sister used to be like.

“What happened then?” Martha asked, sitting on the other bed and looking towards them, curiosity shining on her face.

“She was screaming so loudly, and cursing up a storm that it frightened the locals.” The Doctor replied vaguely, wincing slightly at the memory.

“So Nana was cursing  _ you _ .” Aludra said knowingly.

“Big time.” The Doctor replied, nodding as much as he could without moving his head from Astraea’s lap.

Martha giggled lightly, seeing the sheepish expression on the Time Lady’s face at the reminder of how she had been when she had been in labour with her eldest daughter.

“In my defence, it  _ was _ my first pregnancy.” Astraea said sheepishly. “And it wasn’t like I held true to the threat of never letting you touch me again. We had six more kids after Mayra, including Aludra.”

“Seven children and ten grandchildren.” Aludra said softly, a sad yet reminiscing smile on her face as she remembered the vague memories she had of her siblings and nieces and nephews. “And all of them older than me.”

“Wow.” Martha said, her laughter fading to stunned surprise as she looked at the couple on the other bed.

She already had trouble believing Aludra was their daughter but to hear that they had grandkids as well was beyond surprising. They looked to be the same age  _ she _ was, but she figured that it was probably something to do with their alien biology that made them look young.

“I just realized.” Martha said slowly, looking up at the ceiling. “I don’t even have a toothbrush.”

“Oh, here.” The Doctor said, sitting up slightly and patting his chest pockets, pulling out a toothbrush and handing it to the medical student. “Contains Venusian spearmint.”

“Thanks.” Martha said, getting off her bed and taking the toothbrush.

“And no need for toothpaste.” Astraea said cheerfully, straightening up and removing her heels before resuming her previous position, the Doctor putting his head back on her lap.

“Nice.” Martha said with a light laugh, putting the brush on the night table and sitting back down on the bed. “So, magic and stuff. That’s a surprise. It’s all a bit ‘Harry Potter’.”

“Wait ‘till you read Book 7.” The Doctor said, a grin crossing his face as Astraea ran her hand through his hair. “Oh, I cried.”

“But is it real, though?” Martha asked excitedly, pulling off her boots and removing her earrings. “I mean, witches, black magic and all that, it's real?”

“’Course it isn’t!” The Doctor said, scoffing disparagingly.

“Honey, you’re being rude.” Astraea chided, gently slapping his chest with one hand.

“Well, how am I supposed to know? I've only just started believing in time travel. Give me a break." Martha retorted defensively.

“It looks like magic, but it isn’t.” Astraea said thoughtfully. “It can’t be.”

“There's such a thing as psychic energy, but a human couldn't channel it like that.” The Doctor said, frowning thoughtfully. “Not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we'd have spotted that.”

“Honey, you didn’t notice the London Eye behind you until I practically spelled it out for you.” Astraea said, looking down at her fiancée with a raised eyebrow.

“Fair point. But there’s something we’re missing.” The Doctor said, shaking his head and sighing. “Something really close, staring me right in the face and I can’t see it.”

“You know, if Rose were here, she’d be alternating between trying not to freak out over the murders and fawning over William.” Aludra remarked softly, a sad, wistful look on her face.

“True.” The Doctor agreed, nodding.

“Though that would be because of how cute he is.” Astraea said with an equally sad smile on her face. “She never had been one to enjoy Shakespeare’s works.”

“What was she like?” Martha asked softly, curious to know more about the young girl that they had lost.

“She was…” Aludra started before trailing off, lost in her memories. She shook her head and looked at Martha. “Rose was someone who had the potential to be incredibly clever, but she often tended to be incredibly self-absorbed. It was partially our own doing, we spoiled her quite a bit when she was growing up, for different reasons, but all stemming from her losing her father when she had been a baby.”

“But she was still the one who noticed things that we didn’t.” Astraea said, remembering when they had been in 1953 and how Rose had been the one to notice the TV aerials first. “And when it really mattered, even though she was terrified, she managed to keep her wits about her.”

“She was human. An ordinary, brilliant human.” The Doctor said softly. “Stubborn almost to a fault, but when she realized she had been wrong, she didn’t hesitate to apologize.” He shook his head and turned to Aludra. “Okay, enough reminiscing. Aludra, time for bed.”

Aludra sighed and nodded, getting off her perch and removing her heels. She removed the ribbon from her hair, setting it on the bedside table and running her fingers through her thick locks.

“Good night, Ada, Nana.” Aludra said, lying down beside Martha. “Good night, Martha.”

“Good night.” Martha replied, covering a yawn and letting her eyes flutter close.

Aludra closed her eyes as well and between one heart beat to the next, she was fast asleep.

“They’re both asleep.” The Doctor said softly, shifting slightly so that he was laying back on the bed, leaving his shoes on.

“It’s been a long day for them both.” Astraea said softly, untying the ribbon in her hair and running her fingers through the braid, opening it and letting the locks cascade around her like a silken curtain.

“Get some sleep.” The Doctor said softly, taking her arm and gently tugging her.

She gasped quietly as she fell against him, resting her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly with one arm while gently running his fingers through her hair with his other hand, enjoying the feel of the long, silky locks.

“Goodnight  _ Annwyl _ .” Astraea said quietly, her eyes already fluttering closed. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Goodnight.” The Doctor replied, kissing her forehead and feeling her hearts slow as she fell asleep.

He blew out the candle, letting the room fall into near darkness, lit only by the moon. He gently ran his hands through her hair, watching her sleep. Absently, he gently rested his hand on her flat stomach and thought back to when she had been pregnant with each of his children, from their eldest, Mayra, to their youngest, Aludra.

He smiled softly, remembering her frequent complaints of ‘looking like a whale, feeling like she swallowed a planet and being as big as a house’. He repeatedly told her that she looked breathtaking, the shimmer of Vortex energy within her making her pregnancy glow more prominent. Even her brother, who had been known to be a prankster, would repeatedly tell her that she looked beautiful.

He was drawn out of his thoughts when a scream pierced the air. He jumped off the bed and ran out of the room, Astraea and Aludra running after him, barefoot and just as instantly alert while Martha stumbled behind them, still somewhat asleep and in her socks.

They ran across the landing towards William’s room where the scream originated from. Barging into the room, William, who had been asleep at his desk, woke with a start.

“Wh-What?” William stammered blearily as the Doctor and Astraea crouched beside Dolly Bailey’s prone form. “What was that?”

Martha and Aludra ran to the window, glimpsing a dark figure on a broomstick flying off into the night, cackles echoing on the wind.

Astraea pressed two fingers at Dolly Bailey’s neck, checking for a pulse.

“She’s dead.” Astraea said quietly.

“Her heart gave out.” The Doctor said, his voice just as quiet. “She died of fright.”

“Ada, Nana?” Aludra called.

“What is it? What did you see?” The Doctor asked, he and Astraea getting to their feet and moving to join the two younger women at the window.

“A witch.” Martha replied quietly, looking stunned at her own words.

~*~

Dawn broke over the city, a rooster crowing out its morning call to the slowly wakening residents of the town. Inside the lodging house, the Doctor, with Astraea standing beside him with an arm around his shoulders, Aludra and Martha sat in front of William’s desk in the playwright’s room. William paced silently in front of the window, watching as the sun spread its golden rays across the sky, lighting up the Earth below and bringing a sense of new hope.

Astraea and Aludra were still barefoot and both had their hair hanging loose with their dupatta’s around their necks while Martha had put her earrings and boots back on.

In the hours since Dolly Bailey had been discovered, her body had been taken away by a constable and her cause of death listed as ‘natural’ and ‘fright’, just like Lynley’s had been.

“Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey.” William lamented, turning away from the window and sitting down at his desk. “She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place. We all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit.”

“‘Rage, rage against the dying of the light’.” The Doctor recited with a sigh, absently playing with Astraea’s engagement ring.

“‘Do not go gentle into that good night’.” Aludra responded.

“I might use that.” William said, looking intrigued at the words.

“You can’t.” Astraea said apologetically. “It’s someone else’s.”

“But the thing is, Lynley drowned on dry land, Dolly died of fright and they were both connected to you.” Martha said thoughtfully, nodding at William.

“You’re accusing me?” William asked, taken aback.

“No.” Martha replied quickly, shaking her head and hurrying to explain, “But Aludra and I saw a witch – big as you like, fling, cackling away – and you’ve written about witches.”

“I have?” William asked, frowning. “When was that?”

“Not quite yet.” Aludra said quietly out of the corner of her mouth, nudging Martha lightly.

“Peter Streete spoke of witches.” William murmured thoughtfully.

“Who’s Peter Streete?” Astraea asked.

“Our builder.” William replied. “He sketched the plans to the Globe.”

“The architect.” The Doctor said with a frown and William nodded in confirmation. “Hold on, the architect! The architect!” He yelled, slamming his hand on the table. Astraea and Aludra didn’t even blink while Martha and William started at the sudden change. “The Globe! Come on!”

The Doctor shot to his feet, grabbed his coat and slipped it on while Astraea and Aludra put their heels back on and grabbed their purses before running after him. Martha grabbed her jacket as she and William followed suit, exchanging confused looks.

Reaching the Globe, the Doctor and Astraea stood in the pit while William, Martha and Aludra climbed onto the stage.

“The columns there, right, and 14 sides.” The Doctor muttered, looking around at the viewing balconies.

“William, why 14 sides?” Astraea asked curiously, looking at the playwright.

Since she had learned about the Globe Theatre, she had always been curious about  _ why _ it had been built with 14 sides instead of being an actual globe as the name would suggest.

“It was the shape Peter Streete thought best, that’s all.” William replied, shrugging lightly. “He said it carried the sound well.”

“Why does that ring a bell?” The Doctor asked quietly. “14…”

“There’s 14 lines in a sonnet.” Martha offered, putting her jacket on an zipping it up halfway.

“So there is. Good point!” The Doctor said, glancing at the Londoner.

"Words and shapes, following the same design." Astraea muttered, pacing and twirling a lock of hair around her finger absently. “14 lines, 14 sides, 14 facets…”

“Tetradecagon…” The Doctor muttered, pacing alongside Astraea though in the opposite direction. “Oh my head! Think!” He slapped his head repeatedly. “Think, think, think! Words, letters, numbers, lines!”

“This is just a theatre.” William said, shaking his head in confusion.

“Yeah, but the theatre’s magic.” Aludra said, sitting down at the edge of the stage and looking up at the playwright behind her. “You should know that best of all. Stand on this stage, say the right words with the right emphasis at the right time… you can make men weep or cry with joy. You can change people, change their minds only with your words, here, in this place.”

“Aludra’s right.” Astraea said, turning to William. Her eyes widened in realization as she looked at the Doctor. “And if you exaggerate that…”

“It’s like your police box.” Martha said with a grin. “Small wooden box, but with all that  _ power _ inside.”

“Oh, you’re good.” Aludra said, grinning up at Martha.

“Tell you what, though. Peter Streete would know.” The Doctor said, turning to William. “Can I talk to him?”

“You won’t get an answer.” William replied regretfully. “A month after finishing this place, lost his mind.”

“Why? What happened?” Martha asked, concerned.

“Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling. His mind was addled.” William replied.

“Where is he now?” Astraea asked.

“Bedlam.” William replied.

“What’s Bedlam?” Martha asked.

“Bethlehem Hospital.” Aludra replied before William could. “Hospital for the mentally ill.”

“The madhouse.” William said, calling it what it was referred to by everyone in Elizabethan England.

“We’re going to go there.” The Doctor said firmly, holding a hand out to Aludra. Aludra stood up and jumped off the stage, the Doctor catching her and gently setting her on the ground. “Right now.” Martha hurried to the side of the stage and walked down the stairs. “Come on!”

The Doctor turned and walked out of the theatre, his arm linked with Astraea’s while Martha and Aludra followed behind them.

“Wait! I'm coming with you. I want to witness this at first hand.” William called, hurrying down the stairs and following after them just as two of the actors entered the theatre. “Ralph! The last scene as promised.” He handed the stack of parchment to the dark-haired man. “Copy it, hand it ‘round, learn it, speak it. Back before curtain up. And remember, kid, project. Eyes and teeth. You never know – the Queen might turn up.” He turned and strode through the gateway, adding in an undertone, “As if. She never does.”

William quickly caught up with Martha and Aludra, keeping pace with them while still keeping sight of the Doctor and Astraea who were striding a few feet ahead.

“So, tell me of Freedonia, where women can be doctors, writers, actors.” William said, easily keeping pace with the two younger women.

“This country’s ruled by a woman.” Martha shot back, amusement colouring her tone.

“Ah, she’s royal, that’s God’s business.” William said dismissively before looking down at the two women beside him, a smile on his face. “Though you are both royal beauties.”

“I know for a fact that you have a wife in the country.” Aludra said firmly, looking up at the playwright with a raised eyebrow.

“But Aludra, this is  _ Town _ .” William said with a smirk.

“So?” Aludra asked, not understanding what the playwright meant.

“Come on!” The Doctor called before William could respond, the Time Lord and Astraea double backing towards the three of them. “We can all have a good flirt later.”

“Is that a promise, Doctor?” William asked, shooting the Doctor a teasing smirk.

“Oh, 57 academics just punched the air.” The Doctor muttered as Astraea and Aludra snickered and Martha giggled.

“We really should get moving.” Astraea said, a small frown crossing her face. “We need to find out what’s going on. The sooner, the better.”

“Well, then, who am I to deny such a celestial lady.” William said suavely, smiling and bowing slightly at Astraea.

“Oi!” The Doctor said, pulling Astraea back so she was almost completely behind him. “No, no, no, no, no, no, you don’t say things like that to Astraea.  _ Or _ to Aludra. You say them to Martha and Martha only, got it? Astraea is _ my _ Soul Bonded and Aludra is  _ our _ daughter.”

Martha and Aludra exchanged small smiles, giggling quietly while Astraea smiled softly at the Doctor’s back, the Time Lord not noticing since he was too busy glaring at William. The playwright on the other hand sniggered under his breath at managing to get a rise out of the Doctor, having instantly noticed his protectiveness towards his ‘Soul Bonded’ and his daughter.

“Come on.” Aludra said, looping her arm through Martha’s and walking down the path once more.

The Doctor shot one last glare at William before turning and walking towards the hospital as well, wrapping his arm around Astraea’s waist. William continued sniggering under his breath as the couple took the lead once more, the sniggers joined by Martha and Aludra’s quiet giggling.

~*~

Walking through the corridors of Bethlehem Hospital, screams and groans pierced the air. The building was dark, lit with torches and stank of rot and fear, the terror almost tangible in the air. The Doctor had his arm around Astraea while Martha similarly had her own arm around Aludra, the two Welshwomen incredibly sensitive to the pain the people were in due to being Empaths. William was silent, walking on Martha’s other side while they were led by the Keeper of the Hospital.

“Does my lord Doctor wish some entertainment while he waits?” The burly Keeper asked, smirking. “I can whip these madmen. They’ll put on a good show for ya. Mad dog in Bedlam.”

“No, I don’t!” The Doctor snapped, tightening his hold around Astraea’s shoulders and glaring at the Keeper.

“Wait here, my lords.” The Keeper said, shrugging and not at all fazed by the glare. “While I make him decent for the ladies.”

The Keeper walked down the corridor, rapping the outer bars of a cell at the end of the corridor before turning the corner. Aludra flinched at the sound and Martha tightened her hold around the Welshwoman’s shoulders.

“So,  _ this _ is what you call a  _ hospital _ , yeah?” Martha asked indignantly, turning a fierce look on the playwright as she felt the faint trembles of Aludra’s form. “Where the patients are whipped to entertain the gentry? And you put your _ friend _ in here?”

“Oh, and it’s all  _ so _ different in Freedonia.” William said with a scoff, rolling his eyes.

“But you’re clever.” Martha protested, trying to connect the person in front of her with the man she had heard stories about as a child and learned about in school. “Do you honestly think this place is any good?”

“I’ve been mad, I’ve lost my mind.” William retorted, an undercurrent of sorrow, anger and pain in his voice. “Fear of this place set me right again.” He glanced around at the damp walls and held back a shudder at the oppressive air that hung around them. “It serves its purpose.”

“Mad in what way?” Martha asked, part incredulous and part disbelieving at the news.

“You lost your son.” Astraea said softly, turning in the Doctor’s arms to look up at the playwright.

The couple both had a look in their eyes that could only be gained from having experienced such a crippling loss – the loss of a child.

“My only boy.” William said quietly, nodding in confirmation. “The Black Death took him, I wasn’t even there.”

“I didn’t know.” Martha said softly, guilt at her earlier words clear on her face. “I’m sorry.”

“It made me question everything.” William admitted as Aludra reached out and took his hand, trying to offer what comfort she could to the playwright. He smiled at her and squeezed her hand in return, showing his gratefulness for her kindness. “The futility of this existence. To be or not to be… Oh.” He trailed off thoughtfully, a glint in his eye. “That’s quite good.”

“You should write that down.” The Doctor said with a smile, a gentle look in his eyes at seeing his daughter’s unfailing kindness and compassion towards others.

He couldn’t help but be proud that Aludra still retained the kindness and compassion she had when she had been a child, not diminished by the pain and sorrow she had experienced over the past 20 years when she had been reincarnated.

“Hmm, maybe not.” William said, shaking his head. “A bit pretentious?”

The Doctor gave a non-committal shrug in response.

“This way, m’lord!” The Keeper called from the end of the hallway. The small group turned and walked towards him in single file, Astraea and Aludra keeping firm grips on the Doctor and Martha’s hands respectively. They joined the Keeper at one of the cells where a dirty man had his back to them, dressed in equally filthy rags and sitting on a cot, hunched over with his head bowed. “They can be dangerous, m’lord.” The Keeper warned as he opened the cell door and let the group inside. “Don’t know their own strength.”

“I believe it would help if you don’t whip them!” Astraea snapped, glaring up at the large man with a fierce look in her gold-rimmed amethyst eyes. “Now get out.”

The Keeper looked taken aback at the scolding as he turned and walked out of the cell, locking the door behind him to prevent the inmate from escaping. The Doctor slowly approached Peter slowly and not making any sudden moves, as though he were approaching a wounded animal.

“Peter?” The Doctor called softly, walking around the cot and crouching in front of the hunched man. “Peter Streete?”

“He’s the same as he was.” William said quietly as Astraea moved to crouch beside the Doctor. “You’ll get nothing out of him.”

“Peter?” The Doctor called in the same soft voice, putting a gentle hand on the man’s shoulder. Peter’s head shot up, his eyes pale and wild as he stared back into the Time Lord’s eyes. Without breaking eye contact, the Doctor gently placed his fingers at the human man’s temples. “Peter, we are the Doctor and Astraea. Go into the past. One year ago. Let your mind go back. Back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened in this year since, happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A Winter's Tale. Let go. That's it. That's it, just let go…”

Slowly, the Doctor moved his hands away from Peter’s face as Astraea gently laid the man back down on the cot, resting on his side.

“Tell us the story, Peter.” Astraea ordered gently, letting Peter take one of her hands while running her fingers through his grimy hair with the other. “Tell us of the witches.”

“Witches… spoke to Peter.” Peter began slowly, absently fiddling with Astraea’s hand. “In the night, they whispered. Whispered...” His breathing was shallow and he made little hissing sounds, absently scrabbling around his ears with one hand. Aludra whimpered quietly, her heart wrenching in sympathy at the sight of the poor man in front of them, and Martha took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “Got Peter to build the Globe to their design.  _ Their  _ design! The 14 walls – always 14. When the work was done…” He laughed, the sound shaky and manic at the same time. “They snapped poor Peter's wits…”

“But where did Peter see the witches?” The Doctor asked. “Where in the city?” Peter gasped, his eyes wide and darting between Astraea crouched in front of him and the Doctor standing just behind her. The Doctor crouched down beside Astraea, his own eyes pleading. “Peter, tell us. You’ve got to tell us, where were they?”

“All Hallows Street.” Peter gasped out, his heart racing and his breath coming out in short pants.

“Too many words…” A female voice rasped, a wizened figure in a black cloak materializing beside the Doctor.

The Doctor and Astraea leapt to their feet and shot back to stand by the others, the Doctor angling himself so that he was in front of Astraea and Aludra.

“What the hell?” Martha blurted out in shock, gripping Aludra’s hand tightly.

“Just one touch of the heart.” The wizened figure rasped, raising a long nailed finger before bringing it down on Peter’s chest.

“NOOO!” The Doctor yelled, starting to move forward to try and stop the wizened figure.

But it was too late. Peter gasped and breathed his last, the life leaving his wide open pale eyes while the wizened witch moaned in delight.

“Witch!” William exclaimed in shock, pointing at the wizened figure. “I’m seeing a witch!”

“Really? That’s what gets you but not your friend’s sudden death?” Aludra asked the playwright incredulously, an eyebrow raised, momentarily side tracked from her fear.

“Now who would be next, mmm?” The witch asked before William could reply, waving her fingers about. “Just one touch.” The Doctor and Astraea stared at the witch with matching dark, stricken expressions. William shifted so that he was in front of Martha and Aludra, both gripping his arms tightly. “Oh, oh, I’ll stop your frantic hearts. Poor, fragile mortals.”

Martha let go of William’s arm and turned to the cell door, rattling it frantically.

“Let us out! Let us out!” She screamed in terror.

“That’s not going to work, the whole building’s shouting that.” Aludra pointed out, glancing at the other woman, her voice dark with fear.

“Who will die first?” The witch asked, inspecting her wrinkled fingers dismissively. “Hmm?”

“Well, if you’re looking for volunteers.” The Doctor said casually, he and Astraea stepping forward and standing side-by-side.

“No! Don’t!” Martha shouted, gripping the bars with both hands and looking at the couple over her shoulder.

Aludra frowned and bit her lip, suspecting that her parents likely had a plan. She glanced at Martha, who had terror etched across her dark features.

“Lady Astraea, Doctor, can you stop her?” William asked uncertainly, making sure to keep Martha and Aludra behind him.

“No mortal has power over me.” The witch hissed.

“Oh, but there’s a power in words.” The Doctor said, his dark glare never leaving the witch who faltered ever so slightly. “If we can find the right one.”

“If we can just  _ know _ you.” Astraea said, her gaze narrowed.

“None on Earth has knowledge of us.” The witch hissed.

“Well, it’s a good thing Nana and Ada are here.” Aludra chirped, peeking out from around William’s larger frame, her fear momentarily pushed to the side.

“Now, think, think, think.” The Doctor muttered, avoiding the witch’s outstretched, reaching hands.

“Aludra, what do we know about them?” Astraea asked, glancing at her daughter. “Humanoid, female.”

“Uh, they influenced the design of the Globe to make it 14.” Aludra threw in. “Can fly on broomsticks.”

“Uses shapes and words to channel energy.” The Doctor added before snapping his fingers in realization. “AH! 14! That’s it! 14!”

“The 14 stars of Rexel Planetary Configuration!” Astraea exclaimed in realization, whipping her head around to look at the wizened hag. “Creature, I name thee  _ ‘Carrionite’ _ !”

The crow-like hag shrieked loudly before fading away slowly in a stream of gold light.

“What did you do?” Martha asked faintly, prying her fingers away from the bars and turning to look between the couple and Aludra. “What did they do?”

“They Named her.” Aludra explained softly, moving to Peter’s bed and gently closing the man’s lifeless eyes. “The power of a name is Old Magic.”

“But there’s no such thing as magic.” Martha protested.

“Magic is just a different sort of science.” Astraea explained. “You chose mathematics.”

“Given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom.” The Doctor continued.

“The Carrionites use words instead.” Astraea finished.

“Use them for what?” William asked, a frown on his face.

“The end of the world.” The Doctor replied gravely, wrapping one arm around Astraea’s shoulders while taking Aludra’s hand in his other.

~*~

Returning to The Elephant as night fell, the small group made their way into William’s room.

“Nana, Ada, I thought Carrionites didn’t exist?” Aludra said, perching on top of a wooden armoire while Martha leaned back against it, her arms folded over her chest. Aludra’s hair was still open, cascading around her like a silk curtain of dark curls.

William went to a shallow stone basin and began washing his face and neck, listening to the conversation.

“They disappeared way back at the dawn of the Universe.” The Doctor said pacing the length of the room.

“No one was sure if they were real or just stories children were told to keep them in line.” Astraea remarked, pacing the room in the opposite direction the Doctor was going in. She had her hair open just like her daughter, though the long locks were pulled front to hang over one shoulder.

“I’m going for real.” William said, turning to look at them and towelling his face and neck dry.

“Me, too.” Aludra chirped, raising her hand and using the other to push her hair back.

“But what do they want?” Martha asked in confusion.

“A new empire on Earth.” The Doctor replied, stopping by the desk and leaning against it. He pulled Astraea towards him when she came close, holding her back to his chest with his arms circled around her waist. “A world of bones and blood and witchcraft.”

“Okay,  _ how _ would they do that?” Aludra asked.

“I’m looking at the wordsmith.” Astraea said, turning her gold-rimmed amethyst gaze onto the playwright.

“Me?” William asked in surprise as the Doctor, Aludra and Martha looked at him as well. “But I’ve done nothing.”

“Hold on though, what were you doing last night, when that Carrionite was in the room?” Martha asked, her brow furrowed in thought.

“Finishing the play.” William said, slightly defensive.

“What happens on the last page?” Aludra asked.

“The boys get the girls, they have a bit of a dance.” William replied. “It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual.” He frowned, thinking back to when he had been writing the previous night. He looked at the time travellers, his eyes widening. “Except those last few lines. Funny thing is, I don't actually remember writing them.”

“That’s it!” Astraea exclaimed, slipping out from her fiancé’s arms and stepping towards the playwright. “They used you, they used your words.”

“Rather, they gave you the final words.” The Doctor added, a maniacal gleam entering his eyes. “Like a spell, like a code! ‘Love’s Labours Won’ – it’s a weapon!”

“The right combination of words.” Astraea started, becoming just as excited as her beloved.

“Spoken at the right place.” The Doctor continued.

“With the shape of the Globe as an energy-converter!” Astraea said.

“The play’s the thing!” The Doctor finished triumphantly, turning on his heel before spinning back around to look at the bewildered playwright. “And yes, you can have that.”

“Do they-?” William started, shaking his head and blinking rapidly, turning to look at Aludra.

“Finish each other’s sentences?” Aludra finished with an exasperated look on her face. “Oh, yeah.”

“Oi!” The Doctor said, pouting theatrically at Aludra.

“Seriously, listening to the two of you is like listening to Grandma and Grandpa.” Aludra said, rolling her eyes.

“Honey, she does have a point.” Astraea said, pulling a map that she had noticed earlier from a shelf and spreading it out on William’s desk.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” The Doctor said grinning, pressing a gentle kiss to Astraea’s lips before pulling away. He pulled out his glasses and slipped them on, turning to the map while Martha, Aludra and William crowded around the desk as well. “All Hallows Street.” He pointed to a spot on the map. “There it is.”

“Martha, Aludra, the four of us’ll track them down.” Astraea said, looking at the two women and quickly tying her hair back into its 3-strand braid. Martha and Aludra nodded, the latter grabbing her purse and slipping it onto her wrist.

“Will, you get to the Globe.” The Doctor continued, looking at the playwright across from him. “Whatever you do, stop that play!”

“I’ll do it.” William promised, smiling and reaching out to shake the Time Lord’s hand. “All these years I’ve been the cleverest man around. Next to you,” he glanced between the Doctor and Astraea, “next to you both, I know nothing.”

“Oh, don’t complain.” Martha remarked.

“I’m not.” William said honestly. “It’s marvellous.”

“Mind the ego.” Aludra said rolling her large sapphire eyes as she tied her hair back into a half pony like she had the previous day. “Ada’s head gets any bigger and it won’t fit through the doors.”

“Oi!” The Doctor cried, pouting at his daughter.

“Aw, I love you, Ada.” Aludra said, reaching across the table and pecking the Time Lord’s cheek before pulling back.

“I love you, too, baby.” The Doctor said, a tender smile on his face as he pulled off his glasses and slipped them back into his pocket.

“Good luck Doctor, my Lady.” William said, looking at the couple though he had a gentle yet pained smile on his face at the by-play between the small family.

“Good luck, William.” Astraea said with a smile, grabbing her purse and slipping onto her wrist, her braid hanging over her shoulder like it had the previous day.

“Once more unto the breach!” The Doctor called, grabbing his coat and running out of the room with Martha, Astraea and Aludra behind him.

“I like that!” William called, nodding before pausing. “Wait a minute… that’s one of mine!”

“Oh, just shift!” The Doctor yelled, peeking back into the room before resuming his run out of the lodging house.

William grabbed his jacket and ran out behind them, the group splitting up in the courtyard and heading in their separate directions.

“All Hallows Street.” The Doctor said as the four time travellers reached the mentioned street at a dead run a few minutes after leaving the lodgings house. “But which house?”

“The thing is though… am I missing something here?” Martha asked as they gazed around the street. “The world didn’t end in 1599, it just didn’t. Look at me – I’m living proof.”

“Oh, how to explain the mechanics of the infinite temporal flux.” The Doctor muttered, still looking around the street.

“It’s like in ‘Back to the Future’.” Astraea explained gently, looking at the young med-student.

“The film?’ Martha asked curiously.

“No, the novelization.” The Doctor said in acidic sarcasm. “Yes, the film!” Astraea reached out and whacked the Time Lord behind the head. “OW!”

“You’re being rude.” Astraea said calmly.

“Remember in ‘Back to the Future’ Marty McFly goes back in time and changes history?” Aludra asked Martha, taking over the explanation.

“And he starts to fade away.” Martha said in realization before a look of worry crossed her face. “Oh, my God, am I going to fade?”

“You and the entire future of the Human Race.” The Doctor said severely, becoming serious once more. “It ends right now in 1599 if we don't stop it.” He looked around the street once again. “But which house?” A door in front of them creaked open as though in response to the question. “Ah, make that  _ witch _ house.”

Martha shot him an incredulous look, her eyebrow raised as she watched him walk into the house with Astraea.

“Yeah, that happens a lot.” Aludra said, rolling her eyes exasperatedly.

Martha shook her head resignedly and followed after the couple into the house, Aludra beside her.

The interior of the house was quite appropriate for a stereotypical witch. Candles flickered in their holders, a simmering cauldron over a pile of wood in the centre of the main room, cobwebs lined the walls and dead rats and other rodents hung from racks.

To Aludra’s surprise, the lodging house maid, Lilith, awaited them, watching their approach.

“I take it we’re expected.” Astraea remarked, seemingly unperturbed.

“Oh, I think Death has been waiting for you both a very long time.” Lilith said, eyeing the couple with a calculating gaze.

“Right then, it’s my turn. I know how to do this.” Martha said, stepping forward and pointing her finger at Lilith. “I name thee, Carrionite!” Lilith gasped for a second before letting out a snicker, completely unaffected by the naming. “What did I do wrong?” She asked, turning to look at the couple and Aludra. “Was it the finger?”

“The power of a name works only once.” Lilith explained, taking a step forward. “Observe.” She pointed at Martha. “I gaze upon this bag of bones, and now I name thee Martha Jones!”

Martha’s eyes fluttered closed and she fell backward. The Doctor caught her before she could hit the floor and gently lowered her to the ground.

“What have you done?” Aludra growled, her Welsh accent more pronounced due to her anger.

“Only sleeping, alas.” Lilith said, not replying to the question but rather commenting in curiosity. The remaining travellers breathed out in relief, Astraea double checking Martha’s pulse to make sure the young woman was still alive. “Curious, the name has less impact. She’s somehow out of her time.”

Aludra glared fiercely at Lilith, the power of the Mara swirling behind her sapphire eyes. Lilith looked back, a smirk forming on her face only to freeze at the pure power that glowed in Aludra’s eyes.

“I name thee, Lilith.” Aludra said, her accent still thick with anger as she pointed at Lilith.

“Such a clever, clever girl.” Lilith cooed, looking pleased as she ran her eyes over Aludra’s form and the exposed expanse of her snow white skin. “So powerful, as well. And yet, her fate shall be your own, now join in slumber, Siwan Jones.”

Aludra staggered back in a daze, gasping as she slumped backward. Astraea caught her and gently lowered her to the ground beside Martha, crouching next to her with the Doctor crouched next to the young medical student.

“Hmm, she too is only sleeping.” Lilith remarked thoughtfully before shrugging and turning to the Doctor and Astraea, pointing at them. “As for you, Sir Doctor and Baronetess Astraea!” She froze, seeing that the name did absolutely nothing to the couple. “Fascinating. There are no names. Why would a man and woman hide their titles in such despair?” She turned her light eyes onto Astraea, gazing at the Time Lady as though trying to peer into her. “Oh, but look.” She said silkily. “There’s still one word with the power that aches for  _ you _ , Baronetess.”

“The Naming won’t work on either of us.” The Doctor snarled, glaring fiercely at the witch.

Lilith had been able to use Aludra’s human name since the Chosen One still went by it while they were on Earth while Astraea only went by her human name if it was needed for a cover.

“But your heart grows cold.” Lilith said. “The north wind blows and carried down the distant… Rose.”

“Oh, big mistake.” Astraea growled, getting to her feet and turning to the witch, a dark glare etched across her fair features. The golden Vortex energy swirled along her skin, invisible to those who were unaware of its presence due to the Perception Filter ring on her right ring finger. “Because that name keeps me fighting.”

“The Carrionites vanished.” The Doctor growled just as darkly as his fiancée, stalking towards Lilith and towering over her smaller frame. “Where did you go?”

“The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness.” Lilith replied, spinning around and moving towards the window.

“And how did you escape?” Astraea asked.

“New words.” Lilith replied, turning back to face the couple. “New,  _ glittering _ . From a mind like no other.”

“William.” Astraea said softly in realization.

Lilith nodded in confirmation, looking into the bubbling cauldron near her. Inside was an image of William, his face etched with unimaginable grief.

“His son perished.” Lilith explained. “The grief of a genius, grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance.”

“How many of you?” The Doctor asked.

“Just the three.” Lilith said, turning back and stepping up towards the window. “But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the Human Race will be purged, as pestilence.” She looked back at the couple, both with their eyebrows raised at the Carrionite’s plan. “And from this world we will lead the Universe back… into the Old Ways of blood and magic.”

“Mmm, busy schedule.” The Doctor remarked dryly, rubbing his ear and taking a few steps forward to stand nearly face-to-face with the Carrionite. “But first, you’ve gotta get past us.”

“Oh, that should be a pleasure.” Lilith purred, reaching out a hand and caressing the Time Lord’s face. “Considering my enemy has such a  _ handsome _ shape.”

Astraea raised an eyebrow, biting back the urge to snort at the Carrionite’s attempt to seduce her fiancée. With a lightning fast movement, the Doctor grabbed Lilith’s wrist and held it tightly, making the witch wince.

“Now, that’s one form of magic that’s definitely not gonna work on me.” The Doctor said, shoving Lilith’s wrist away from his face. “Especially not from  _ you _ .”

“Oh, we’ll see.” Lilith purred, undeterred as she held up a lock of his hair that she had managed to snip from the back of his head.

“What did you do?” Astraea asked in alarm.

“What’s that for?” The Doctor asked, running his hands through his hair.

“Souvenir.” Lilith said, holding up the lock of hair.

“Well, give it  _ back _ !” The Doctor shouted.

Lilith threw her arms to the sides, causing the window behind her to fling open. She soared outside, suspending in mid-air as the Doctor and Astraea darted to the window.

“Well, that’s just cheating.” The Doctor muttered.

“Behold Doctor, Astraea.” Lilith said, pulling a doll out from her sleeve and wrapping the lock of hair around it. “Men, to Carrionites, are nothing but  _ puppets _ .”

“You call that magic, but  _ we’d _ call it a DNA Replication Module.” Astraea said, glancing at the doll.

Behind the couple, Aludra stirred awake, shaking herself out of her daze. As unobtrusively as possible, she reached out and nudged Martha, trying to wake the medical student up.

“What use is your science now?” Lilith asked, her gaze firmly pinned on the couple as she pierced the doll with a needle.

The Doctor and Astraea let out pain-filled cries and collapsed in a heap on the ground as Lilith cackled, flying off into the night.  

“Nana! Ada!” Aludra cried out in alarm, running to them and dropping down to her knees.

“It’s okay, we’ve got you.” Martha said reassuringly, turning the Doctor onto his back while Aludra turned Astraea. She pressed her ear to his chest before a smirk crossed her face and she looked down at him. “Hold on mister. Two hearts?!”

Astraea and the Doctor opened their eyes, small smiles crossing their faces as they looked up at the two women.

“You’re making a habit of this.” The Doctor remarked blithely to Martha, he and Astraea getting to their feet.

“AH!” Astraea cried out in a strangled scream, the Doctor echoing the sound as they both gripped their chests and stumbled.

“What is it?” Aludra asked, grabbing hold of Astraea while Martha supported the Doctor.

“He’s only got one heart working.” Astraea replied with a pained gasp.

“How do you people cope?” The Doctor asked, his face twisted in a pained grimace.

“How the hell did  _ I _ cope with only one heart?!” Astraea asked, gasping in pain. “Martha, you’ve got to get his second heart started.”

“How?” Martha asked, confused and terrified.

“Hit him on the chest!” Aludra said, holding Astraea up with both arms.

Martha did as ordered, hitting the Doctor’s chest with a frim thump.

“Other side!” The Doctor gasped, gasping when the med student obliged.

“On the back, on the back!” Astraea gasped, sagging slightly in Aludra’s arms while the Doctor fell on all fours to the ground.

Martha hit him on the back as ordered, the blow landing in the middle of the Doctor’s back.

“Left a bit!” The Doctor gasped out, Martha obliging and hitting him with all her strength. “Ahh! Lovely.” He said, straightening up and causing his bones to crack in a satisfactory manner. “There we go! Ba-da-boom-ba!”

“Oh, that felt good.” Astraea said, her bones cracking as she straightened up and Aludra let her go.

“Well, what are you standing there for?” The Doctor asked, looking at Martha and Aludra. “Come on, the Globe!”

He grabbed Astraea’s hand and the couple ran out of the house with Martha and Aludra behind him. They ran through the streets, Astraea’s hand slipping out from the Doctor’s at one point while he led them towards the Globe.

“We’re going the wrong way!” Martha yelled, remembering the map they had seen in William’s room.

“No we’re not!” The Doctor insisted, continuing to run ahead while Astraea and Aludra skidded to a stop at a 3-way junction.

Martha stopped as well, looking at the two women in confusion.

“Wait for it.” Aludra said, rolling her eyes exasperatedly.

_ 10… _

_ 9… _

_ 8… _

_ 7… _

_ 6… _

_ 5… _

_ 4… _

_ 3… _

_ 2… _

_ 1… _

The Doctor ran back towards them, his tan coat flying behind him.

“We’re going the wrong way!” He shouted, running past them and back in the direction they had come.

“Every time.” Astraea said, shaking her head exasperatedly as she followed behind him with Martha and Aludra.

They ran through the streets once again, Astraea taking the lead. Turning the final corner before the Glove, the four time travellers skidded to a stop and stared at the sight that greeted them.

A cyclone of red smoke swirled above the Theatre, the people running in every direction, screaming in fright.

The priest that had accosted them the previous day approached, gleefully crying, “I told thee so! I told thee!”

“Yeah, not now, mate.” Astraea said, glancing at him and shaking her head.

The priest gave one last gleeful look at them before running off, still shouting about how he had been right.

“Stage door!” The Doctor shouted to be heard over the screaming, running towards the Globe.

The three women followed behind him, Astraea and Aludra holding their skirts up above their knees so they wouldn’t fall.

The cyclone whirled above the theatre, growing in size and ferocity as stormy gray smoke began to swirl with the red.

The time travellers slipped in through the unguarded stage door, darting through the back hall and burst into the antechamber just off the stage. They skidded to a stop when they found William slouched in a chair, just beginning to wake from unconsciousness.

“Stop the play! I think that was it.” The Doctor snapped. “Yeah, I said, ‘Stop the play’!”

“I hit my head.” William groaned, his gaze unfocused.

“Yeah, don’t rub it. You’ll go bald.” The Doctor muttered.

“Let me see.” Aludra said, crouching in front of the playwright and looking into his eyes. “You’ll be fine. Might have a headache for a few days.”

Before William could reply, a crash echoed through the Theatre and screams filled the air once more.

“I think that’s our cue!” The Doctor shouted grabbing Astraea’s hand and pulling her through the side door and onto the stage.

Aludra and Martha grabbed each of William’s arms and hauled him up to his feet, helping him through the door behind the Time Lord and Lady.

“You know, it would be nice if we could have a nice, calm trip once in a while.” Aludra muttered, taking in the scene of chaos that surrounded them.

Gusts of wind scattered pages all around them while the audience pounded on the sealed doors in an attempt to escape. Red lightning flashed inside the smoky spiral, ragged cloaked figures visible as dark wraith-like beings flying around it.

The audience alternated between screaming as they pounded on the doors and pointing up at the wraith-like figures in shock.

“Come on William!” Astraea shouted so she could be heard over the chaos, grabbing the playwright’s arm and pulling him forward. “History needs you!”

“But what can I do?” William asked, his voice just as loud with an undercurrent of fear.

“Reverse it!” The Doctor shouted.

“How am I supposed to do that?!” William asked.

“The shape of the Globe gives words power.” The Doctor reminded the playwright.

“ _ You’re _ the wordsmith, William.” Astraea said, her tone gentle despite the raised voice. “ _ You’re _ the one who can send the Carrionites back to the Abyss.”

“The one true genius, the only one clever enough to do it.” The Doctor added.

“But what words?” William asked frantically, looking between the couple on either side of him pleadingly. “I have none ready!”

“You’re William Shakespeare!” The Doctor said, patting the man on the chest.

“But these Carrionite phrases, they need such precision.” William protested.

“Trust yourself, William.” Aludra said, moving to stand on the Doctor’s other side and looking up at the handsome man. “When you sit up in your room to write, the words that lay within just come to you, don’t they? Those beautiful, magical words, perfect words. So beautiful and so magical that,” She smiled up at him, reaching around her father to take his hands in her own tiny ones and squeeze them gently. “They last forever.”

“That’s what you do, William.” Astraea said. “You choose the perfect words and make them last forever.”

“Now, do it! Improvise!” The Doctor said encouragingly.

William nodded and took a breath, the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra stepping away from the playwright.

“Close up this din of hateful, dire decay!” William shouted, looking up at the swirling smoke filled with red lightning. “Decomposition of your witches’ plot! You thieve my brains, consider me your toy! My darling Aludra tells me I am not!” He looked at Aludra and winked at her, grinning cheekily.

“Oi!” The Doctor and Astraea shouted in unison while Aludra smiled, looking at the playwright with a raised eyebrow.

“Foul Carrionite spectres, cease your show!” William continued. “Between the points…” He glanced at Astraea and the Doctor for the coordinates on where to send them.

“7-6-1-3-9-0!” The couple called in unison.

“7-6-1-3-9-0!” William repeated. “And banished like a tinker’s cuss, I say to thee…” He shook his head and glanced at the Doctor and Astraea, out of words. The couple looks at each other, also at a loss for words.

“Expelliarmus!” Martha and Aludra shouted in unison.

“Expelliarmus!” The Doctor and Astraea agreed.

“Expelliarmus!” William shouted, sealing the spell like a promise.

“Good old JK!” The Doctor yelled delightfully.

The Carrionites screamed and wailed as the swirling tempest spun ever faster. The wind drew up the pages of the script into its midst, as well as all the wraith-like Carrionites.

“Love’s Labors Won!” Astraea remarked, looking up at the pages that swirled within the swirling tempest. “There it goes!”

The three Carrionites in the viewing box screamed as they were pulled into the swirling spiral before it imploded upon itself, vanishing in a blink and leaving the clear, cloudless night sky, dotted with twinkling stars.

The audience breathed a collective sigh of relief and a hesitant clapping began from the middle of the crowd. Slowly, the rest of the audience began clapping as well and it quickly grew to cheers, the sound reaching thunderous proportions.

“They think it was all special effects.” Martha said in disbelief as the Doctor and Astraea quietly slipped out of the back door.

“You’re effect is special indeed.” William said, smirking at Martha.

“Not your best line.” Aludra said, giggling delightedly.

William shrugged and took their hands in each of his, pulling them to the front. They joined the actors in taking their bows, the two women beaming brightly at the applause.

~*~

Dawn rose over the town and a rooster cowed its morning call, rousing the townsfolk to greet the new day.

At the Globe Theatre, Aludra quietly slipped onto the stage from the back door, a quill and bottle of ink in her hand that she had borrowed from one of the back rooms. She found Martha sitting next to William at the edge of the stage, their legs dangling over the edge as they flirted and exchanged puns.

“And I say, a heart for a hart, a dear for a deer.” William finished his latest joke, holding back his chuckles.

“I don’t get it.” Martha said, shaking her head and frowning.

“Then give me a joke from Freedonia.” William said.

“Okay.” Martha said. “Shakespeare walks into a pub and the landlord says ‘Oi, mate, you’re barred’.”

William chuckled delightedly while Aludra giggled, the sound muffled behind her hand.

“It’s brilliant!” William said. “Doesn’t make sense, mind you, but never mind that. Come here.”

He wrapped his arm around her waist and leaned in. She stiffened and pulled back slightly.

“I’ve only just met you.” Martha said, looking at him perplexed.

“We both know that Doctor has lips for only one woman.” William pointed out, his voice dripping with charm. “Why not entertain a man who will kiss you instead?”

“I don’t know how to tell you this, oh great genius.” Martha said, sighing. “But your breath doesn’t half stink.”

William looked at her, slightly rueful and not entirely sure what to make of the comment.

“Personally, I think you’re passing up the opportunity to snog the greatest minds in history.” Aludra remarked, stepping out into the pair’s line of sight. Martha jumped involuntarily at the sound of her voice and she looked at the med student, giving her an encouraging nod and winking.

“Well, when you put it that way…” Martha said, biting her lip and smiling slightly.

“Alas, she only loves me for my fame and genius.” William said, sighing theatrically and sending the two women into a fit of giggles.

“Oh, I think we both know that’s not true.” Martha remarked, her giggles slowing until they faded completely. “There’s still your modesty to consider.”

William laughed heartily and when Martha leaned in towards him, he sealed the distance between them and covered her lips with his own. Martha reached up and out her hand on his cheek, kissing him back with equal fervour.

Audra giggled and leaned back against one of the pillars as the Doctor and Astraea strode up to them. The Time Lord was wearing a ruff and holding a large animal skull that looked eerily like a Sycorax skull.

“Oi! Really, you two?!” The Doctor asked incredulously, causing Aludra’s giggles to intensify. “We leave you alone for five minutes….” At the sound of his voice and Aludra’s giggles, Martha and William broke apart from their enthusiastic kiss, both looking decidedly unapologetic. “Good prop store back there.”

“Although, I’m not entirely sure about the skull.” Astraea remarked, eyeing the skull in her fiancé’s hand. “Reminds me a bit too much of the Sycorax.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Aludra remarked, pushing off the wall and joining the small group.

“Sycorax.” William said thoughtfully. “Nice word. I’ll have that off you as well.”

“We should be on 10%.” The Doctor muttered.

“How’s your head, William?” Astraea asked, rolling her eyes and looking at the playwright.

“Still aching.” William admitted.

“Here, I got you this.” The Doctor said, putting the skull down on the ground, pulling off the white ruff and clasping it around the playwright’s neck. “Neck brace.”

“Wear it for a few days until it gets better.” Astraea said, adjusting the ruff before stepping back.

“Although, you might wanna keep it.” The Doctor said, eyeing the playwright. “Suits you.”

“Um, William, I was wondering if there might be an exception to the ‘no autograph’ statement.” Aludra said hopefully, holding up the ink and quill together with a journal she pulled out from her drawstring bag.

“I’d be delighted to make an exception for you, Lady Aludra.” William said, his eyes twinkling as he took the quill, book and ink from the Chosen One.

“What about the play?” Martha asked, a smile playing on her lips as William wrote swiftly.

“Gone.” The Doctor replied. “Astraea and I looked all over.”

“But it appears that every copy of ‘Love’s Labours Won’ went up in the sky last night.” Astraea said, leaning against the Doctor as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“My lost masterpiece.” William said softly, glancing at the travellers before looking back at the book and continuing to write.

“You could write it up again.” Martha suggested.

“Oh, you’d better not, sir.” Aludra refuted apologetically. “There’s still power in those words. It’s best to let it be forgotten.”

“Oh, but I’ve got new ideas.” William said, a faraway look entering his eyes. “Perhaps it’s time I wrote about fathers and sons. In memory of my boy – my precious Hamnet.”

“Hamnet?” Martha repeated in surprise.

“That’s him.” William confirmed.

“Ham _ net _ ?” Martha repeated.

“What’s wrong with that?” William asked, glancing at the med student curiously.

“Anyway, time we’re off.” The Doctor cut in. “We’ve got a nice attic in the TARDIS where this lot.” He picked up the glass globe that held the screeching Carrionites. “Can scream for eternity.”

“And we’ve gotta take Martha back to Freedonia.” Astraea added.

“You mean travel through time and space.” William declared knowingly.

“You what?” The Doctor asked, looking at the playwright warily, a protective glint in his eyes as he tightened his hold around Astraea’s waist.

“You and Astraea are from another world, like the Carrionites, and Martha is from the future.” William explained. “And Aludra is from the same future, except from Wales. And at the same time, Aludra is also from the same world you and Astraea are from.” He smiled at them, shrugging. “It’s not that hard to work out.”

“That’s… incredible.” The Doctor said, his eyes wide. “That’s incredible.”

“We’re alike in many ways, Doctor, Astraea.” William said, smiling at the couple before a frown crossed his face. “But there is one thing I don’t understand.” He looked between the couple and Aludra curiously. “How can Aludra be from Wales but also from another world?”

“It’s complicated.” The Doctor said, shaking his head dismissively.

“Tell me about it.” Astraea muttered dryly. “And  _ we’re _ the ones living it.”

“Long story short, I died and was reincarnated on Earth.” Aludra said quietly, her large eyes becoming haunted as her memories filtered through to the forefront of her mind.

“I am so sorry.” William said, his regret at bringing up the topic clear on his face.

“It’s wasn’t your fault.” Aludra said, a smile crossing her face as she pushed her memories to the back of her mind.

“Aludra, let me say goodbye to you and Martha with a new verse. A sonnet for my Dark Lady and Celtic Maiden.” William said, pressing the journal into Aludra’s hand before taking the other and one of Martha’s hands tightly into his own. “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” The Doctor’s jaw dropped, completely gobsmacked. The only reason he wasn’t darting forward to pull his daughter away from the playwright was Astraea’s giggling form in his arms. Aludra’s eyes widened, a delicate blush painting her cheeks at the eloquence while Martha looked at the playwright with the same stunned expression. “Thou art more lovely and temperate-”

“Will!” An actor called, inadvertently cutting the playwright off as he ran up to the stage with another actor. “Will! You’ll never believe it! She’s here! She’s turned up!”

“We’re the talk of the town!” The other actor said. “She’s heard about last night! She wants us to perform it again.”

“Who?” Aludra asked curiously.

“Her Majesty!” The first actor replied. “She’s here!”

Trumpets played a fanfare as a resplendently dressed red-headed woman entered the Globe.

“Queen Elizabeth the First!” The Doctor said gleefully, barely holding back the squeal.

“Doctor!” The Queen hissed, her face darkening in anger.

“What?” The Doctor asked, shocked.

“Uh-oh.” Astraea muttered, almost  _ knowing _ what was coming next.

“My sworn  _ enemy _ !” The Queen hissed, her voice still filled with anger.

“What?” The Doctor repeated.

“Ada, what did you do now?” Aludra asked, tucking her journal into her purse.

“Off with his head!” The Queen ordered.

“What?!” The Doctor repeated, shaking his head.

“Never mind ‘what’, just run!” Martha shouted, running through the backstage door.

“See you, William!” Astraea shouted, grabbing the Doctor’s hand and running after Martha.

“And thank you!” Aludra shouted, running after the others.

“Stop that pernicious Doctor!” The Queen ordered.

The guards ran after the travellers as William’s laughter echoed behind them. They ran out the back door of the theatre and through the streets, Astraea and Aludra holding their skirts up over their knees.

“Stop in the name of the Queen!” A guard shouted.

“So not happening!” Astraea shouted over her shoulder.

“What have you done to upset her?” Martha asked.

“How should I know?” The Doctor asked, shrugging as best he could without breaking his stride. “Haven’t even  _ met _ her yet!”

“That’s time travel for you!” Astraea said as they reached the TARDIS.

“Still, can’t wait to find out.” The Doctor admitted, unlocking the door and ushering the three women inside. “That’s something to look forwards to.” He grinned excitedly, his eyes widening when he saw a soldier take aim with his bow. “Ooh!”

He quickly ducked inside and closed the door as the imbedded itself in the door, Astraea rapidly running around the console and sending them into the Vortex. He looked at Aludra and Martha, seeing them both sporting identical dazed and ecstatic expressions.

“Did that just happen?” Martha asked in amazement, leaning against a coral pillar. “Did we just… Shakespeare’s sonnets?”

“Oh, my Gods, we were William Shakespeare’s muses!” Aludra squealed in amazement. She looked at the Doctor and Astraea, excitement bright in her eyes. “I don’t think even  _ Duncan _ can say that for his encounter with William.”

The Doctor and Astraea laughed, watching their daughter with tender expressions on their faces.

“Oh, my God, I just snogged William Shakespeare!” Martha squealed, not realizing what Aludra had said. She threw her arms around the Doctor and Astraea, hugging them tightly. “Thank you, thank you so much! This was absolutely brilliant.”

Astraea and the Doctor laughed, returning the hug with equal fervour before letting her go. Aludra staggered back and fell onto the jump seat, pulling out her journal and looking at the autographed page.

“Come on, my love.” The Doctor said, moving to sit next to her and pulling Astraea down on his lap. “What did he write?”

Martha leaned against the console and looked at Aludra expectantly. The Chosen One cleared her throat and read out in a clear, lilting voice.

_ ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? _

_ Thou art more lovely and more temperate: _

_ Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, _

_ And summer’s lease hath too short a date, _

_ Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, _

_ And often is his gold complexion dimmed, _

_ And every fair from fair sometime declines, _

_ By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed. _

_ But thy eternal summer shall not fade, _

_ Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st, _

_ Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade, _

_ When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st. _

_ So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, _

_ So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.’ _

William’s signature was at the bottom, a flourish of calligraphy just as elegant as the sonnet.

“Best. Autograph. Ever.” Aludra declared firmly, looking up with stars in her eyes.

The Doctor and Astraea laughed as Martha sighed at the elegance of the words.

_ Links: _

_ *Astraea’s purse - _ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478602931/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478602931/)

_ *Aludra’s purse (aquamarine) - _ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/861946816160261378/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/861946816160261378/)


	4. Gridlock

**Gridlocked**

Martha sat on the jump seat, sipping at her coffee that Aludra had made a short while earlier and watching the Doctor and Astraea work the console as they piloted them through the Vortex. Aludra was perched up on a Y-beam, working away on her PDA and sipping at her own coffee.

When Martha had taken her first sip of the wonderful brew, she had immediately proclaimed it to be the best coffee she had ever had, looking like she was just about ready to start worshipping at Aludra’s feet. Aludra herself alternated between preening at the praise and blushing brightly, very aware of how good her coffee was.

“Just one trip.” The Doctor remarked, glancing at Martha. “That’s what I said, one trip in the TARDIS, then home. Although…” he looked at Astraea then at Aludra, remembering both their desires to spend more time with Martha. Both women had become quite fond of the young medical student, Aludra in particular forming a fast friendship with the human. “I suppose we could… stretch the definition.”

He was dressed in his brown pinstriped suit with a white dress shirt and black-brown tie. A pair of white converse were on his feet and the watch he had been gifted with by the Tyler/ Jones family the Christmas after he regenerated was on his left wrist. His hair was in its usual spiky disarray, made even more dishevelled when he ran his fingers through the thick locks.

“One trip to the past, one trip to the future.” Astraea explained, smiling at Martha. “What do you think?”

Astraea was dressed in a floor-length light purple-lavender Gallifreyan dress with long, belled sleeves* and the matching lavender purple leaf bindi between her eyebrows. She had a pair of small flower shaped lavender and white diamond earrings in her ears*, her engagement ring and her Perception Filter ring on her left and right ring fingers respectively. Her hair was in its usual 3-strand braid thrown over her shoulder, a lavender ribbon interwoven through the bottom half and several strands framing her face. On her feet were pair of high heeled 5” lavender sandals*.

“Really?” Aludra asked with a bright, excited smile, looking down at them from where she was perched.

She was dressed in a smart skirt suit with a red and black top and black pencil skirt*. Her matching red 5” high heeled pumps and red leather purse were on the ground by the pillar she was perched. She had a pair of small ruby studs in her ears and her long hair was tied up in her usual French twist.

“No complaints from me.” Martha said with a laugh, grinning widely.

She was dressed in her pink tank top, light blue jeans and red leather jacket, deciding to wear her own clothes after they had been washed following their trip to 1599.

“How about a different planet?” The Doctor suggested with a grin.

“Can we go to yours?” Martha asked excitedly.

“Aah, there’s plenty of other places.” The Doctor said dismissively, his smile fading as he turned back to the console.

“Oh, come on though.” Martha said eagerly, getting off the jump seat and joining the couple, setting her empty mug to the side. “I mean, the planet of the Time Lords, that’s gotta be worth a look. What’s it like?”

“Well, it’s beautiful.” Astraea said softly, a hint of wistfulness in her tone at the memory of their home.

“Is it like, you know, outer space cities, all spires and stuff?” Martha asked excitedly, walking around the console.

“I suppose it is.” The Doctor replied, nodding.

Aludra jumped down from her perch and moved to stand by her parents, setting her empty coffee cup aside before taking their hands and holding them comfortingly. She didn’t remember much about Gallifrey since she had been too young when she had died, but she still felt the pain of its loss just as her parents did.

"Great big temples and cathedrals!" Martha continued, unaware of the sorrow peeking out on the Time Lord and Lady’s faces.

"Yeah…" Astraea breathed, nodding.

“Lots of planets in the sky?” Martha asked, tuning around to look at the couple and Aludra.

“The sky’s a burnt orange.” The Doctor said, squeezing Aludra’s hand and letting his memories wash over him, getting lost in them. “With the Citadel enclosed in a might glass dome, shining under the twin suns.”

“Beyond that, the mountains go on forever, slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow...” Astraea said, her own recovering memories washing over her.

“Can we go there?” Martha asked, excited at the picture the words had painted.

“Naah.” The Doctor said, feigning enthusiasm and expertly masking his pain behind it. “Where’s the fun for us? We don’t want to go home! Instead…” He began darting around the console, setting the controls that Astraea neatly tweaked when he wasn’t looking. Martha stepped back and watched them move while Aludra slipped on her heels and picked up her purse, hanging it over her shoulder. “This is much better. Year 5 billion and 53, Planet New Earth! Second hope of mankind! 50 000 light years from your old world, and we're slap bang in the middle of New New York.”

“Although, technically speaking, it's the 15th New York from the original.” Astraea said, grabbing her light grey crossbody purse* from where it was on a Y-beam, slinging it across her chest before holding the Doctor’s tan coat out for him. He slipped the coat on and shot her a bright grin. “So it's actually New-New-New-New-New-New-New-New-New-New-New-New-New-New New York. One of the most dazzling cities ever built."

The Doctor threw the doors open and led them out, into the pouring rain. Not the kind of warm spring or summer rain that Astraea and Aludra would often play and dance in, but the cold rain that would prompt people to curl up by the fire with a hot drink.

“Oh, that’s nice.” Martha groaned, zipping up her jacket and huddling against the cold shower. “Time Lord version of dazzling.”

“I love rain as much as the next girl, but not this kind of rain.” Aludra remarked, absently grateful she no longer had to worry about wearing glasses. The force of the rain would have rendered the specs completely useless.

“Oh, a bit of rain never hurt anyone.” The Doctor said, taking Astraea’s hand and grinning at the two younger women.

“Come on, let’s get under some cover!” Astraea said, letting the Doctor pull her through the alley they had landed in.

On either side of them, junk littered the ground along with large green dumpsters. Old laundry hung on lines criss crossing above them, swinging in the wind.

“Looks like same old Earth to me.” Martha remarked, her arms crossed over her chest in an attempt to preserve her body’s warmth.

“Yeah, I’m thinking a Wednesday afternoon.” Aludra remarked in agreement, not affected by the cold as Martha was.

“Hold on, hold on.” The Doctor said, ducking under an overhead hanging and pulling Astraea along beside him. “Let’s have a look.”

He pulled out his screwdriver and sonicked the information screen, Martha and Aludra moving to stand on his other side.

The screen began flickering and the Doctor knocked it a few times, the image becoming clearer until the face of a pretty young woman appeared.

 _“…and the driving should be clear and easy, with 15 extra lanes open on the New New Jersey Expressway.”_ The woman reported with a smile.

The Doctor pocketed his screwdriver, a grin crossing his face as the image changed into one showing a pristine New New York, the amazing spired city on the coastline of the river, hover cars zooming past. It was almost identical to the site the Doctor and Astraea had seen when they had come to New Earth the previous time.

“Oh, that’s more like it.” The Doctor said, beaming and tapping the screen lightly. “That’s the view we had last time.”

“This must be the lower levels.” Astraea commented, looking out at the alley. “Some sort of Undercity at the base of the tower.”

“You’ve brought me to The Slums.” Martha said, looking disappointed as she looked at the screen portraying the glitter of the Overcity.

“Much more interesting!” The Doctor said, grinning cheerfully. “It’s all glitter and cocktails up there.” He gestured around to the alley. “This is the real city.”

“Ada, you’d enjoy anything.” Aludra said, rolling her eyes and grinning at the Time Lord.

“With you and your mother at my side, absolutely.” The Doctor agreed, wrapping his arms around Aludra and Astraea, beaming brightly. He looked up as the rain slowed down to a drizzle, lowering his arms from the two women’s shoulders. “Ah, the rain’s stopping. Better and better.”

“When you say ‘last time’, was that with Rose?” Martha asked hesitantly, making the small family look at her.

“Yes, it was her first official trip with us.” Astraea replied softly, nodding. Seeing Martha’s expression at having the suspicion confirmed, she went on to explain, “We didn’t bring you here to try and recreate what we had with Rose, it’s not fair to you nor is it fair to her. We brought you here because we wanted to show you a Human Race that still lives on long after your time.”

Martha nodded in understanding, happy to hear for herself that the Doctor and Astraea weren’t using her as a rebound. She had too much self-respect to let herself be used that way. If that had been what it was, she would have asked to be returned home, no matter how amazing the travelling was.

“Don’t worry; this is my first time to New Earth as well.” Aludra chirped cheerfully, looping her arm through Martha’s and shooting the other woman a bright grin. “So it can be a new experience for us both.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Martha said, a smile forming on her face as she nodded in agreement.

They turned to make their way out of the alley, intending to explore, when the front of one of the large green boxes opened up to reveal a vending stall operated by a young man.

“Oh!” The man shouted excitedly. “You should have said. How long you been there? Happy! You want Happy? Happy, Happy!”

“Customers!” A second vendor, this one a dark-skinned woman, shouted as she opened her own stall. “Customers! We’ve got customers!”

Suddenly, the other green boxes opened as well, the vendors shouting out at them and trying to draw their attention.

“We’re in business.” A third vendor, a young woman, said happily. “Mother, open up the Mellow!”

“Happy, Happy!” The first vendor said, holding up clear stickers with a green circular emblem on it. “Lovely Happy, Happy.”

“Anger!” The dark-skinned woman called. “Buy some Anger!”

“Get some Mellow, makes you feel all bendy and soft all day long!” The third vendor called.

“Younger them, they’ll rip you off.” The first vendor countered, trying to draw the four travellers to him instead. “Do you want some Happy?”

“No, thanks.” The Doctor said, frowning.

“Are they selling _drugs_?” Martha asked in disbelief, grimacing.

“I think they’re selling… _moods_.” Astraea said with a small frown, cocking her head to the side and trying to get a look at the patches the vendors were holding.

“Somehow, I don’t think there’s a difference.” Aludra pipped up, grimacing as well.

A weary and bedraggled woman, dressed in black with a ragged cloth over her head, entered the alley. Huddled against the cold, she walked up towards the stalls.

"Over here, sweetheart!” The third vendor called to the woman, seeing an opportunity for a customer. “That's it, come on, I'll get you first!"

"Oy! Oy, you! Over here! Over here!” The first vendor called, trying to draw the woman to his stall instead. “Buy some Happy!"

The weary woman strode towards the third vendor, her shoulders hunched as though she was carrying a heavy burden.

"Come over here, yeah.” The third vendor said, beaming as the woman stopped in front of her stall and looked up. “And what can I get you, my love?"

“I want to buy Forget.” The woman replied, her eyes haunted and her face haggard.

“I’ve got Forget, my darling.” The vendor confirmed, nodding. “What strength? How much you want forgetting?”

“It’s my mother and father.” The woman admitted sadly. “They went on the Motorway.”

“Oh, that’s a swine.” The vendor said sympathetically, grabbing a clear token and handing it down to the woman. “Try this, Forget 43. That’s two Credits.”

The woman handed the money to the vendor and turned away, holding the token tightly.

“Sorry, but… hold on a minute.” The Doctor said in concern, stepping towards the pale woman and drawing her attention to them. The woman’s pale grey eyes were filled with sorrow, looking far too haunted for her apparent young age. “What happened to your parents?”

“They drove off.” The woman replied sadly.

“They might drive back.” Astraea pointed out gently.

“Everyone goes to the Motorway in the end.” The woman said sadly, shaking her head. “I’ve lost them.”

“But they can’t have gone far.” Astraea said optimistically, stepping up beside the Doctor. “You could find them.”

The woman stared at them for a second before sighing and putting the token on her neck.

“No, no… no, don’t!” The Doctor said.

But it was too late. The woman’s expression changed from sad and haunted to docile, her posture going from hunched over to somewhat straighter. She looked at the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra with a serene smile, no longer showing any signs of her earlier pain.

“I’m sorry, what were you saying?” The woman asked them, blinking slightly dazedly at them.

“Your parents, your Mum and Dad...” Aludra said slowly, stepping up beside the Doctor and Astraea. “You said they went on the Motorway.”

“Are they?” The woman asked, a frown crossing her face for a second before it faded into the serene and dazed expression once more. “That’s nice.” She smiled at them and Martha looked at her in disbelief, her eyebrows raised. The Doctor, Astraea and Aludra looked disturbed; the three of them frowning though the couple didn’t seem as surprised as the two younger women. “I’m sorry, I won’t keep you.”

The woman smiled at them once more before turning and walking away. The time travellers watched her go, each of them frowning.

“So that’s the Human Race, 5 billion years in the future?” Martha asked in a slightly bitter tone, nodding to the retreating woman’s back as she slipped out of sight. “Off their heads on chemicals?”

Before anyone could say anything else, two figures leapt out from the shadows behind Martha, guns in hand.

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry!” One of the figures, a man, yelled as he grabbed Martha, throwing his arm around her neck and pulling her towards him. She let out a startled scream, alerting the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra. The three of them moved forward but froze when the second darkly dressed figure, a woman, pointed her own gun at them. “We only need three, that’s all!”

Around them, the vendors hurriedly closed their stalls up, not wanting to get involved.

“Let her go!” Aludra shouted fiercely, glaring at the two kidnappers.

“I’m warning you, let her go!” The Doctor shouted angrily.

The kidnappers shuffled backwards, dragging Martha with them while the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra followed them. The woman swung her gun back and forth between the three of them.

“Whatever you want, we can help.” Astraea said, managing to keep her voice calm and level. “But you have to let her go.”

The man dragged Martha through an open door, the medical student struggling the entire way.

“I’m sorry!” The woman said, looking truly apologetic as she ducked through the door behind her partner before slamming it shut.

The Doctor, Astraea and Aludra ran to the door, the Time Lord trying to open it only to find it locked. Aludra let out a stream of very unflattering curses in Welsh, Astraea not bothering to reprimand her since she was echoing the swearing with a stream of her own. The Doctor pulled out his screwdriver and sonicked the door, pulling it open and darting through it into a shadow tunnel with his fiancée and daughter behind him. The two women were no longer swearing, though they were muttering very darkly under their breaths. As they ran through the tunnel after Martha, the Doctor was absently _very_ grateful that the two were not pissed off at _him_.

Nearing the end of the tunnel, they could hear the faint strains of Martha’s voice, raising in an angry shout.

“The Doctor is so gonna kill you, so are Astraea and Aludra!” Martha was shouting. “Actually, never mind them, _I’m_ gonna kill you myself! Let go of me!” There was a pause before Martha began screaming, this time her voice sounding scared. "Don't you dare! Don't put that stuff on me, don't! Get off me! I'm telling you, don't!"

Emerging from the tunnel and into a light-filled alley, they skidded to a stop at the top of the stairwell. They could only watch helplessly as a black and silver hovervan wheezed to life, hovering off the ground for a few seconds.

“MARTHA!!!!” Astraea shouted as the hover-van zoomed out of the alley.

Aludra let out a stream of curses in Welsh before taking a breath and calming herself down.

“What do we do now, Ada, Nana?” She asked, looking at her equally angry parents.

“Now, we get some answers.” The Doctor growled, turning around and stalking back into the tunnel.

Astraea and Aludra followed him, both just as angry and frightened as the Doctor was. They had only just lost Rose, they could not handle losing someone else, they just _couldn’t_.

Returning to the vendors’ alley, the Doctor stalked up to a stall and pounded on the closed door. He continued banging the door until it opened, revealing the third vendor, the one that had sold Forget to the young blonde woman.

“Thought you’d come back.” The vendor remarked cheerfully. “Do you want some happy Happy?”

“No, we would like some answers.” Astraea said with an undercurrent of anger in her tone.

“Those people, who were they?” The Doctor asked in a tone just as angry as his fiancée.

“Where have they taken her?” Astraea added.

“They’ve taken her to the Motorway.” The first vendor replied, opening his stall back up and peering out to look at the trio.

“Looked like carjackers to me.” The third vendor commented.

“I’d give up now, darlings.” The second vendor said gently, shaking her head. She had opened her stall back up at the same time as the first vendor. “You won’t see her again.”

“Used to be thriving, this place. You couldn’t move” The first vendor informed them. “But they all go to the Motorway in the end.”

“He kept on saying three.” Aludra said, speaking up for the first time. Her voice carried the same undertone of anger as her parents, looking at the vendors with the same fire of determination swimming in her eyes. “‘We need three’. What did that mean?”

“It’s the car-sharing policy, to save fuel.” The third vendor replied. “You get special access if you’re carrying three adults.”

“This Motorway, how do we get there?” The Doctor asked.

“Straight down the alley, keep going ‘till the end. You can’t miss it.” The third vendor replied, nodding her head in the direction she was referring to.

The Doctor nodded and turned on his heel, striding down the alley with Astraea beside him.

“Thank you.” Aludra said, nodding her head at the vendors before turning and following her parents.

“Tell you what… how ‘bout some happy Happy?” The third vendor called to their retreating backs. “Then you’ll be smiling, my loves!”

The Doctor and Astraea whirled around and stalked back to the vendors, glaring at the three of them.

“Word of advice, all of you.” The Doctor said, his voice brimming with anger. “Cash up, close down and pack your bags.”

“Why’s that, then?” The third vendor asked with a frown.

“Because as soon as we’ve found her alive and well, and we _will_ find her alive and well, then we’re coming back and this street is closing.” Astraea replied, her gold-rimmed amethyst eyes swimming with determination. “Tonight!”

The couple shot one last glare at each of the vendors before whirling back around and striding down the alley once more.

Walking in silence, the only sound was Astraea and Aludra’s heels clicking against the stone floor; they reached the end of the alley a few minutes later. The Doctor walked up to a heavy, locked door marked ‘Motorway Access’ and sonicked it unlocked. Forcing it open, the trio stepped through onto a small balcony in a massive, cavernous tunnel. It was thick with choking green smoke, hover-cars stalled in place, stacked bumper-to-bumper in all directions, including up and down, as far as the eye could see.

The Doctor, Astraea and Aludra began coughing uncontrollably as they breathed in the exhaust fumes, covering their mouths and noses with their hands, trying to prevent themselves from inhaling any more of the fumes.

“I can’t… breathe.” Aludra gasped, her eyes watering.

One of the vehicle doors slid open and a figure stood in front of them, the features completely obscured by goggles and a scarf.

“Hey! You daft little street struts!” The figure, a male, called in a rich accent, waving at them. “What are you doing, standing there? Either get out or get in! Come on!" The Doctor did not hesitate to urge Astraea and Aludra off the balcony and into the car, all three still coughing uncontrollably. The man slammed the door shut behind them, sealing them in the cramped space, continuing incredulously, "Did you ever see the like?"

“Here you go.” A dark haired woman said, holding out oxygen masks for each of them.

The three time travellers took the masks and strapped them on, gratefully breathing in the clean oxygen with slow, even breaths.

“Just standing there, breathing it in!” The stranger continued, pulling off his goggles and scarf, revealing distinctly feline features. "There's this story says back in the old days, on Junction 47, this woman stood in the exhaust fumes for a solid 20 minutes. By the time they found her, her head had swollen to 50 feet!"

“Oh, you’re making it up.” The woman said, rolling her eyes in fond exasperation.

“A 50-foot head!” The man continued, Aludra looking between the pair with wide, astonished eyes at the story while holding the oxygen mask to her mouth. “Just think of it! Imagine picking that nose.”

“Oh, stop it, that’s disgusting.” The woman said, grimacing slightly as the man retook his seat behind the wheel.

Listening to the pair banter back and forth, Aludra couldn’t help but be reminded of her parent’s banter. Glancing at her parents next to her, she could see them smiling softly behind their own oxygen masks, clearly thinking the same as her.

“What, did you never pick your nose?” The man ribbed back.

Suddenly, the woman straightened up and her expression became serious, the banter completely forgotten.

“Bran, we’re moving.” She said, her eyes on the cars in front of her.

“I’m on it.” The man, Bran, said, pushing a lever down towards the floor. Car horns beeping all around them for several seconds while the engines wheezed as everyone shifted forwards. The car stopped abruptly, Astraea stumbling slightly and catching herself on the Doctor’s arm before she could fall. “20 yards – we’re having a good day.” Aludra raised her eyebrow at the remark while the woman smiled at him in response. They turned to the three travellers who were removing the oxygen masks, taking in the well-dressed appearances and the uncanny resemblance the sapphire-eyed woman had to the New Egyptian Queen, Merneith. “And who might you be? Pretty well dressed for hitchhikers.”

“Thanks.” The Doctor said, his voice slightly hoarse from the earlier bout of coughing. “Sorry, I’m the Doctor and this is my fiancée Astraea.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” Astraea said, her voice slightly hoarse as well.

“And this is our daughter, Aludra.” The Doctor finished, gesturing to Aludra.

“Hello.” Aludra said with a smile.

“A medical man, eh?” Bran commented, looking impressed. “My name is Thomas Kinkade Brannigan and this is the bane of my life,” he looked at the woman beside him, an expression of complete love and adoration on his face. “The lovely Valerie.”

“Nice to meet you.” The woman, Valerie, said with a small smile, her eyes soft and kind.

“And that’s the rest of the family behind you.” Bran finished, gesturing behind the three hitchhikers.

The Doctor and Astraea looked behind them and, seeing a curtain that concealed the back half of the van, pulled it to the side. On a shelf along one side of the wall was a basket of kittens of varying colours, the tiny felines meowing softly.

“Ah, hello.” The Doctor said with a smile as Astraea reached out and gently scooped up a black one.

“Aww.” Aludra cooed at the adorable kittens. She reached out and gently scooped up a white and grey kitten, a yellow ribbon around its neck. “They’re adorable.”

The Doctor watched Astraea and Aludra with a tender expression, both women having a fondness for cats – in both lives.

“How old are they?” Astraea asked, looking at Bran and Valerie as the Doctor gently ran the back of his finger over the black kitten.

“Just two months.” Valerie replied, looking at her kittens with a look of pure love.

“Poor little souls – they’ve never known the ground beneath their paws.” Bran said softly, a look of pride in his eyes. Astraea, the Doctor and Aludra looked at Bran with puzzled expressions and the man added, “Children of the Motorway.”

“What, they were born in here?” The Doctor asked in mild surprise.

He wasn’t too surprised by the news that the kittens had been born in an unconventional place. It wasn’t as if _he_ could say anything – his eldest daughter had been born in a foxhole surrounded by angry locals on a distant planet while Astraea had gone into labour with their youngest amidst the beginning of the Sontaran/ Rutan war.

“We couldn’t stop.” Valerie explained. “We heard there were jobs going, out in the laundries on Fire Island. Thought we’d take a chance.

“You’ve been driving for _two months_?” Astraea asked incredulously.

“Do I look like a teenager?” Bran asked, scoffing. “We’ve been driving for 12 years.”

The Doctor blinked at the other male, an expression of disbelief clear on his face. His fiancée and daughter mirrored the look.

“I’m sorry?” The Doctor asked.

“Yeah! Started out as newlyweds.” Bran said, nodding. He looked back at Valerie, a look of deep love in his eyes. “Feels like yesterday.”

“Feels like 12 years to me.” Valerie shot back playfully.

“Ahh, sweetheart, but you’re still lovely.” Bran said, reaching out and tickling her, making her giggle lightly.

“But 12 years!” Aludra said in disbelief.

“How far did you come?” Astraea asked. “Where did you start?”

“Battery Park.” Bran replied. “It’s 5 miles back.”

“You travelled 5 miles in 12 years?” The Doctor asked, incredulity and disbelief dripping from his voice as he traded dumbfounded looks with Astraea and Aludra.

“I think they’re a bit slow.” Bran remarked, looking at Valerie.

“I’m never complaining about Friday night London traffic again.” Aludra muttered as she and Astraea gently put the kittens back in the basket.

“London?” Valerie repeated, watching the strangers with keen and kind eyes. “Where are you three from?”

“Never mind that, we’ve gotta get out.” The Doctor said, peering out through the front windshield. “Our friend’s in one of these cars.”

“She was taken hostage and we’ve got to get her back.”  Astraea added.

“Would Idris be able to find her?” Aludra asked.

The Doctor pulled open the door only for the smoke to surround them once more. He and Astraea let out hacking coughs, hurriedly closing the door again before the kittens could get affected.

“You’re too late for that, we’ve passed the lay-by.” Bran called over the sound of the coughing, Aludra rubbing both their backs. “You’re a passenger now, Sonny Jim.”

“When’s the next lay-by?” Aludra asked calmly, continuing to rub her parent’s back as their coughing began to slow down.

“Ooh… six months.” Bran replied, though his tone indicated that he wasn’t entirely certain.

“You have got to be joking.” Astraea gasped, staring at the driver in disbelief.

Bran shook his head in response and the Doctor groaned.

~*~

The Doctor sonicked the communication panel that was mounted on the side wall, the transmitter in hand.

“I need to talk to the police.” He called into the transmitter when the insignia of the New New York Police Department appeared on the screen a few seconds later.

Astraea and Aludra sat on either side of the basket of kittens, both women holding a kitten in their arms and watching the Time Lord.

 _“Thank you for your call.”_ An automated voice answered, the words appearing on the bottom of the screen at the same time. _“You have been placed on hold.”_

Aludra and Astraea frowned at the response, eyebrows raised.

“But you’re the police!” The Doctor protested.

 _“Thank you for your call.”_ The automated voice repeated. _“You have been placed on hold.”_

The Doctor sighed frustratedly and turned to Valerie and Bran, the couple watching him in amusement.

“Is there anyone else?” He asked. “Astraea and I once met the Duke of Manhattan. Is there any way of getting through to him?”

“Oh now, ain’t you lordly?” Bran remarked dryly.

“We’ve got to find our friend.” Astraea said, holding the purring kitten to her chest and leaning forward so she could look at Bran and Valerie.

“You can’t make outside calls. The Motorway’s completely enclosed.” Valerie explained gently.

“What about other cars?” Aludra asked curiously, looking at the drivers while gently petting the kitten in her lap. “Do you have any contact with them?”

“We do, yeah.” Bran replied, nodding. “Well, some of them, anyway. They’ve got to be on your Friend’s List.” He turned back to the communication panel between the two front seats, activating the screen. “Let’s see, who’s nearby?” A picture of two elderly women appeared along with a number, 3-1-7-A-1. “Ah, the Cassini Sisters!” He pressed the number on the screen, sending the call through before speaking into the transmitter, “Be still your hearts, my handsome girls. It’s Brannigan here.”

 _“Get off the line, Brannigan. You're a pest and a menace_.” An elderly female voice called back through the line.

“Oh, come on, now, Sisters, is that any way to talk to an old friend?” Bran asked, his voice filled with mirth.

 _“You know full well we’re not sisters.”_ The woman said exasperatedly. _“We’re_ _married.”_

“Ooh, stop that modern talk, I’m an old-fashioned cat.” Bran said, chuckling lightly while Valerie giggled. He glanced at the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra, becoming serious as he continued, “Now, I’ve got some hitchhikers here, call themselves the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra.”

Before Bran could continue, the Doctor reached out and took the transmitter from him.

“Hello, sorry.” The Time Lord said. “I’m looking for someone called Martha Jones. She’s been carjacked. She’s inside one of these vehicles, but I don’t know which one.”

 _“Wait a minute.”_ Another elderly female voice chimed in. _“Could I ask, what entrance did they use?”_

“Honey, where were we?” The Doctor asked, turning his head slightly to look at his fiancée and daughter.

“Pharmacy Town.” Aludra replied, continuing to pet the purring kittens.

Astraea got to her feet and gently put the kitten she was holding back in the basket, moving to stand beside the Doctor.

“Pharmacy Town.” The Doctor repeated into the transmitter.

“About 20 minutes ago.” Astraea added, pulling the Doctor’s hand towards her so she could speak into the transmitter.

 _“Let’s have a look.”_ Mrs. Cassini said.

 _“Just my luck to marry a car-spotter.”_ The other Mrs. Cassini said jokingly.

“How did you know where we were?” Valerie asked curiously, leaning around the Doctor to look at Aludra.

“I saw the sign on the wall while Ada was unlocking the balcony door.” Aludra replied.

Valerie nodded in understanding and turned back to the front just as Mrs. Cassini’s voice filtered through the transmitter.

_“In the last half hour, 53 new cars joined from the Pharmacy Town junction.”_

“Mrs. Cassini, anything more specific?” Astraea asked, pulling the Doctor’s hand towards her again so she could speak into the transmitter.

 _“All in good time, dear.”_ Mrs. Cassini said gently. _“Was she car-jacked by two people?”_

“Yes, she was, yeah.” The Doctor replied, bending down slightly so he could speak into the transmitter.

 _“There we are.”_ Mrs. Cassini said. _“Just one of those cars was destined for the Fast Lane. That means they had three on board, and the Car number is 465Diamond6.”_

“That’s it!” Aludra exclaimed from the back of the car.

“So how do we _find_ them?” Astraea asked.

 _“Ah, now, there, I’m afraid, I can’t help.”_ Mrs. Cassini said apologetically.

“Can we call them on this thing?” The Doctor asked Bran and Valerie. “We’ve got the number, Diamond6.”

“Not if they’re designated fast lane.” Bran replied, shaking his head. “It’s a different class.”

 _“You could try the police.”_ Mrs. Cassini suggested.

“They put him on hold.” Astraea said.

“You’ll have to keep trying.” The first Mrs. Cassini said. “There’s no one else.”

“Thank you, Mrs Cassini.” Astraea said into the transmitter before the Doctor handed it back to Bran.

Bran took it and slotted it back into place next to the communications panel. The Doctor glanced at Astraea and Aludra, their jewel coloured eyes expressing their worry for Martha.

“We’ve got to go to the Fast Lane.” The Doctor said, looking back at Bran. “Take us down.”

“Please.” Astraea added.

“Not in a million years.” Bran said adamantly, shaking his head.

“You’ve got _5_ passengers.” The Doctor pointed out.

“I’m still not going.” Bran said adamantly.

“Martha’s alone, and she’s lost.” Astraea said softly.

“She doesn’t belong on this planet.” The Doctor added. “And it’s our fault. We’re asking you Brannigan… take us down.”

“That’s a no and that’s final.” Valerie cut in firmly. “I’m not risking the children down there.”

“What risk do you mean?” Astraea asked, seeing a genuine fear for her children in Valerie’s light blue eyes. “What’s down there?”

“We’re not discussing it!” Valerie snapped. “The conversation is closed!”

“So we keep on driving?” The Doctor asked.

“Yes, we do.” Bran replied, nodding.

“For how long?” Aludra asked curiously.

“‘Till the journey’s end.” Bran replied.

“I don’t think Ada’s going to survive that long.” Aludra remarked dryly.

“Oi, I’m not _that_ bad!” The Doctor exclaimed, a pout forming on his face.

“ _Annwyl_ , you get frustrated waiting for the laptop to boot up.” Astraea pointed out.

The Doctor stammered for several seconds before sighing in defeat. Aludra giggled at his expression, gently putting the kitten she was holding back into the basket before getting to her feet. She moved to stand in between the Doctor and Astraea, reaching out to grab the transmitter and speaking into it.

“Mrs. Cassini, this is Aludra.” The sapphire-eyes Welshwoman said. “Just out of curiosity, how long have you been driving on the Motorway?”

 _“Oh, we were amongst the first.”_ The first Mrs. Cassini replied. _“It’s been 23 years.”_

The Doctor gently took the transmitter from Aludra and spoke into it, a seed of suspicion beginning to bloom inside him. A suspicion that had been planted at the automated response from the police department.

“And in all that time, have you ever seen a police car?” He asked, frowning.

 _“… I’m not sure.”_ The second Mrs. Cassini admitted slowly.

“Look at your notes.” Astraea urged, pulling the Doctor’s hand towards her so she could speak into the transmitter. Aludra took a step back, letting her parents speak with the Cassinis. “Any police?”

 _“Not as such.”_ She replied slowly.

“Or an ambulance or rescue service?” Astraea asked. “Anything official? _Ever?_ ”

 _“I can’t keep a note of everything.”_ Mrs. Cassini said defensively.

“What if there’s no one out there?” The Doctor asked, a dark tone in his voice as he pushed on something no one wanted to think about.

“Stop it!” Bran snapped, snatching the transmitter out of the Doctor’s hand and putting it away. “The Cassinis were doing you a favour.”

“Someone’s got to ask.” The Doctor growled, glaring at the cat-man. “‘Cos you might not talk about it, but it’s there, in your eyes.”

“The questions, the fear, all those things you refuse to voice.” Astraea continued. “What if the traffic jam never stops?”

“There’s a whole city above us.” Bran said. “The mighty city state of New New York. They wouldn’t just leave us.”

“That’s another of your unvoiced fears.” Astraea said, her gold-rimmed amethyst gaze piercing through Bran. “Because you’ve never seen them, you only hold onto the hope that you’ve not been abandoned.”

“But what if there’s no help coming, not ever?” The Doctor asked. “What if there's nothing? Just the motorway, with the cars going round and round and round and round, never stopping. Forever.”

“Shut up!” Valerie cried. “Just shut up!”

The pretty woman that the travellers had seen on the screen in the alley appeared on the communications panel in the van.

 _“This is Sally Calypso, and it’s that time again.”_ The pretty woman said as they turned to look at the small screen. _“The sun is blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic, the perfect setting for the Daily Contemplation.”_

“You think you know us so well, Doctor.” Bran commented. “But you and Astraea are wrong. We’re not abandoned, not while we have each other.”

“All this time, your hope was what kept you going.” Aludra said softly, realization dawning on her face.

“You’re right Bran, I’m sorry.” Astraea said apologetically. She looked at the Doctor, reaching out to take his hand. “We of all people should know just how powerful hope can be.”

“And what we can face so long as we have each other.” The Doctor said quietly, remembering all the challenges they had faced, before the War and after he had found Astraea and Aludra again. He looked at Bran and Valerie, an apologetic expression on his face. “I’m sorry.”

Bran and Valerie nodded in acceptance, both silently wondering what it was that the trio had faced that would make their eyes suddenly seem so much older than their faces.

 _“This is for all of you out there on the roads.”_ Sally continued, drawing their attention back to her. _“We’re so sorry. Drive safe.”_

A hymn began to play on the broadcast.

_‘On a hill, far away,_

_Stood an old, rugged cross,_

_The emblem of suffering and shame.’_

Bran and Valerie began to sing along with it, Astraea and Aludra joining in.

_‘And I love that old cross,_

_Where the dearest and best,_

_For a world of lost sinners was slain.’_

The tune echoing throughout the Motorway as everyone began to sing with the choir.

_‘So I'll cherish the old, rugged cross,_

_Rugged cross,_

_‘Till my trophies at last I lay down,_

_I lay down._

_I will cling to the old, rugged cross,_

_Rugged cross,_

_And exchange it someday for a crown.’_

Tears slipped from Valerie’s eyes as the orchestra played a schmaltzy outro, Bran rubbing her arm comfortingly.

“It reminds me of the songs Nan used to sing.” Aludra said softly, tears in her eyes. The Doctor wrapped his arm around her, taking Astraea’s hand with his other hand. “But they can’t be the same, not after all these years.” She looked the Doctor and Astraea. “Can it, Ada, Nana?”

“It could be.” Astraea said, a small smile on her face as she tucked a lock of the younger woman’s hair behind her ear. “The songs passed down through the generations, becoming a beacon of hope for the weary.”

The Doctor gently pressed a kiss to Aludra’s forehead, his face setting in resolve and determination.

“If you won’t be able to take us, we’ll go down on our own.” He said, letting go of Aludra and scrambling to the middle of the van.

“We?” Aludra repeated dryly as the Doctor pulled out the screwdriver and sonicked the floor panel.

“You’re not coming?” The Doctor asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Of course I am!” Aludra replied, looking at him as though he were completely mad for thinking otherwise. She adjusted the strap of her bag, slinging it across her chest. “I just prefer to do my own volunteering.”

“Duly noted.” The Doctor said dryly.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Bran asked incredulously, he and Valerie watching the Time Lord.

“Finding our own way.” Astraea said, tightening the string of her bag around her wrist. “We usually do. And we’ll need these.”

She pulled out three small scarves from her bag and handed the red one to Aludra who tied it around her mouth and nose. Seeing the Doctor busy working on the hatch, she tied the TARDIS blue one around his mouth and nose before tying the light purple one around her own face.

 _‘Capsule open.’_ An automated voice called as the Doctor pulled the door open.

The three travellers peered down into the Motorway, looking at the hundreds of cars that were below them and the murky green fog that filled the entire area.

“Here we go.” The Doctor said as a car stopped directly below them. He tucked his screwdriver into his suit pocket and pulled off his coat, tossing it to Bran. “Look after this. I love that coat. Janis Joplin gave me that coat.”

“But you can’t jump!” Valerie protested, staring at the trio in confounded horror.

“If it’s any consolation, Valerie, right now, _I’m_ having kittens.” The Doctor said, crouching beside the opening.

“This Martha, she must mean an awful lot to you.” Bran commented.

“We hardly know her.” Astraea said quietly.

“I was too busy showing off.” The Doctor added, guilt swimming in his expressive brown eyes. “And I lied to her.”

“ _We_ lied to her.” Astraea corrected him, taking his hand and squeezing it gently. “Couldn’t help it, just lied.”

They had lied to her about their planet still existing. With Martha, they had the chance to pretend, at least for a little while, that their home and their people still existed, that their people hadn’t changed so drastically that the Doctor had to take a drastic measure to save the Universe.

“Well, bye then!” The Doctor said, becoming cheerful once more and jumping through the opening.

“Here goes.” Astraea said, taking a breath and jumping through the shaft as well.

“Thank you for everything.” Aludra said, smiling at the dumbfounded couple.

“You’re gonna follow them, just like that?” Bran asked dumbfounded.

“They’re my parents.” Aludra replied simply, shrugging.

With a final wave and a bright grin on her face, she jumped through the shaft and landed on the car beneath as the Doctor sonicked the top hatch.

“They’re completely insane!” Valerie said faintly, shaking her head.

“That, and a bit magnificent!” Bran said, amazement etched across his feline features.

_‘Capsule open.’_

The Doctor pulled open the hatch and jumped in before reaching up to help the two women down.

“Who the hell are you?” A startled man, completely white from head to toe and dressed in an equally white suit, gasped.

“Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol.” The Doctor responded quickly as Astraea took the screwdriver and worked on opening the bottom hatch. “We’re doing a survey. How are you enjoying your Motorway?”

“Well, not very much.” The man replied honestly, looking at them curiously. “Junction Five’s been closed for three years!”

_‘Capsule open.’_

“Thank you.” Aludra said, waving at the man since he wouldn’t be able to see her smile with the scarf around her mouth. “You’re comments have been noted. Have a nice day!”

One after another, the three of them jumped through the hatch and onto the car below. The Doctor and Aludra went through the same story with the drivers, two young Asian girls, while Astraea sonicked the floor hatch.

“Thank you for your cooperation.” Aludra said, waving at them. “Your comments have been noted.”

_‘Capsule open.’_

Thank you very much!” Astraea called as she jumped through the hatch.

The startled girls just stared the Doctor and Aludra followed behind Astraea, landing on the car below.

_‘Capsule open.’_

They jumped through and startled the two naked occupants, the woman hurriedly covering herself with the magazine she was reading.

“Don’t mind us!” The Doctor called cheerily, sonicking the hatch open.

“Sorry for the intrusion!” Astraea said, pulling open the hatch.

_‘Capsule open.’_

They jumped through and landed on the car below, the naked pair staring at them in stunned confusion through the hole. Astraea sonicked the hatch and pulled it open.

_‘Capsule open.’_

Jumping into the car, the lone occupant – a man completely red from head to toe and dressed in an equally red suit – started at them in confusion.

“Hello!” Aludra said cheerfully, waving at him.

“Cheers!” The Doctor said, giving him a two-fingered salute.

_‘Capsule open.’_

Astraea pulled open the hatch and they jumped through one after another, the man shaking his head in confusion and turning back to the front.

Layer after layer, the trio jumped through the hatches, startling the occupants of the cars. As they got lower, the trio were beginning to feel the effects of their ‘car-hopping’ and the strain it was putting on their muscles. Despite their enhanced physiology, the murky fog of exhaust fumes was slowly beginning to affect them even with the precautionary measure they had taken with the scarves.

_‘Capsule open.’_

Astraea pulled open the hatch and the three of them jumped through, startling the well-dressed gentleman inside.

“’Scuse me, is that legal?” The gentleman asked, spinning around to face them.

“Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol.” The Doctor began, pulling of his scarf and using it to wipe his face before letting out hacking coughs.

“Never mind.” Aludra wheezed, coughing and removing her scarf. Astraea pulled down her own scarf down and fanned her face. “Have you got any water?”

“Certainly.” The gentleman said, hurriedly filling a plastic cone-shaped cup with water and handing it to the young woman. “Never let it be said I’ve lost my manners.”

He handed a cup of water to Astraea and the Doctor as well, watching as the three gratefully drank the cool liquid.

“Thank you.” Astraea said, handing the empty cup back to the man. “Is this the last layer?”

“Yeah, we’re right at the bottom.” The gentleman said, nodding and taking back the other two cups as well, putting them by the water filter. “Nothing below us but the Fast Lane.”

“Can we drive down there?” The Doctor asked. “There’s four of us.”

“Honestly, I’d rather not.” The gentleman replied in blunt honesty, looking apprehensive at the thought of going down to the Fast Lane.

The Doctor rolled his eyes at the response but nodded. He didn’t understand what the fear was about the Fast Lane, but something about it had everyone terrified.

“Just out of curiosity, what would happen if there weren’t enough of us, and you still went down?” Astraea asked.

“We wouldn’t be able to go down in the first place.” The gentleman replied. “It’s an automated system, the wheel would lock.”

“If you’ll excuse me.” The Doctor said, spinning on his heel and crouching beside the hatch.

“You can’t jump!” The gentleman exclaimed incredulously. “It’s a thousand feet down.”

“No, I just want to look.” The Doctor said, pulling the hatch open and peering into the fog below.

Astraea and Aludra crouched down near him while the gentleman stayed in his seat, all of them peering down into the fog below. It was thick and murky, tiny lights faintly visible like dots through the dense smog. A screeching roar filled the air, echoing up to them.

“What’s that noise?” Aludra asked, wincing at the harsh sound.

“I… I try not to think about it.” The gentleman said softly, gulping quietly in nervousness.

“What are those lights?” Astraea asked, frowning. “What’s down there?”

The Doctor coughed, waving his hand over the open hatch as some of the fumes began drifting into the car.

“We just need to _see_.” The Doctor said.

“Hold on, there must be some sort of ventilation in the Motorway to accommodate all the cars.” Astraea said, getting to her feet and moving to crouch in front of the panel beside the driver’s seat. “Honey, screwdriver please.” She held her hand out, not looking away from the screen she was examining. The Doctor pulled out the screwdriver and handed it to her, watching as she began sonicking the screen. “If I could send a pulse through the system, I might be able to trip it enough to get a bit of a breeze.” The screen rippled and she pried it open, pulling out the wires and connecting them together, using the screwdriver to boost their individual signals, in an organized tangle. “The fog should start clearing up slightly, just enough to give us a glimpse.”

The Doctor and Aludra looked out through the hatch while the gentleman alternated between looking at Astraea in amazed curiosity and out at the fog.

“That’s it!” The Doctor exclaimed. “It’s clearing up a bit.” He glanced at Astraea as she rejoined him and Aludra, looking out at the slightly clearing fog below. “You are brilliant and I love you!”

“I know.” Astraea said cheekily, grinning at him. “And I love you too.”

“What are those shapes?” The gentleman asked, evidently deciding to focus on the mystery of what’s below him than the one of the three strangers in his car.

“Something tells me they’re not very friendly.” Aludra breathed as massive crab-like claws reached out to them from the fog. “Ada, Nana, what are they?”

“Macra.” The Doctor replied darkly.

“What are ‘Macra’?” The gentleman asked nervously.

“They used to be the scourge of the galaxy.” Astraea explained.

“Gas – they fed off gas.” The Doctor continued.

“The filthier the better.” Astraea added.

“They built an empire with Human slaves, mining gas for food.” The Doctor finished.

The gentleman looked back and forth between the couple before turning to Aludra, opening his mouth.

“Before you ask, yes, they do this all the time.” Aludra said, rolling her large eyes exasperatedly. The gentleman nodded, closing his mouth as the sapphire-eyed Welshwoman looked back through and hatch, adding, “They don’t exactly look like empire-builders.”

“Well, sweetheart, that was billions of years ago.” The Doctor said. _“Billions.”_

“They must have devolved over the years.” Astraea said thoughtfully. “Becoming nothing more than beasts.”

“But they’re still hungry and Martha’s down there.” The Doctor said, his voice becoming dark with determination.

A ‘clank’ echoed from above them and they shot to their feet, looking up at the roof as the noise continued.

“Oh, it’s like New Times Square in here, for goodness sake.” The gentleman exclaimed exasperatedly.

A pair of feet dropped into the car dangled through the top hatch, followed by a torso in long grey robes as the figure dropped into the car entirely.

“We’ve invented a sport!” The Doctor said cheerfully, grinning.

“Doctor, Seren, you are hard people to find.” The new arrival, a female with greying cat-like features dressed in a nun’s habit, said with a smile.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been called that.” Astraea remarked softly, a small frown on her face.

“No guns.” The gentleman said firmly, catching sight of the futuristic weapon in the cat-nun’s hand. “I’m not having guns!”

“I only brought this in case of pirates.” The cat-nun said dismissively before turning to the Doctor and Astraea, a look of urgency on her feline face. “Doctor, Seren, you both have got to come with me.”

“Do we know you?” The Doctor asked, frowning at her.

“Yes, we do.” Astraea said with a smile, reaching out to hug the cat-nun in delight. “It’s good to see you again, Novice Hame.” She pulled away from the nun and stepped back, adding, “I go by Astraea now.” She gestured to Aludra. “And this is our daughter, Aludra.”

“Hello.” Aludra said cheerfully.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, my Lady.” Novice Hame said, smiling gently at Aludra. She noticed the uncanny resemblance the young woman had to Queen Merneith and wondered if she was a relative. Shaking herself from her musings, she turned to Astraea and the Doctor, running her gaze over them. “You both haven’t aged at all.” She smiled bashfully, ducking her head. “Time has been less kind to me.”

“Novice Hame!” The Doctor exclaimed in delight, reaching out and hugging the nun tightly.

“Uh, wasn’t there an illegal breeding operation happening the last time you were here?” Aludra asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion.

“Among other things.” Astraea said dryly, remembering the body-swapping fiasco that she, the Doctor, Rose and Cassandra had gone through.

“Hold on, get off!” The Doctor said, jumping back away from Novice Hame and frowning at her. “Aludra’s right, the last time we met, you were breeding Humans for experimentation.”

“Although, to be fair, that can happen anywhere.” Aludra pointed out while the gentleman stared at Novice Hame in disbelief.

“I’ve sought forgiveness, Doctor, Astraea.” Novice Hame said to them. “For so many years, under his guidance. And if you both come with me, I might finally be able to redeem myself.”

“We’re not going anywhere!” The Doctor growled, shaking his head. “You’ve got Macra living under this city. Macra!”

“And if our friend’s still alive, she’s stuck down there!” Astraea added with a growl.

“You’ve got to come with me _right now_!” Novice Hame snapped angrily.

The gentleman and Aludra looked back and forth between the Doctor, Astraea and Novice Hame as though they were watching a tennis match.

“ _You’re_ coming with _us_!” Astraea shot back firmly. “We have more than enough people to go down to the Fast Lane; we’ve got to find Martha.”

“I’m sorry, Doctor, Astraea. But the situation is even worse than you can imagine.” Novice Hame said gravely, grabbing the Doctor and Astraea’s wrists. Aludra darted forward and grabbed the cat-nun, her small hand circling the older female’s wrist just as she called out, “Transport.”

“Don’t you dare!” The Doctor protested, trying to pull his wrist out from the tight grip. “Don’t you dare!”

However, it was too late as they became surrounded with a bright white light. The world squeezed around them, compressing them in the light while an electric hum sounded in the air as they disappeared from the city gentleman’s car.

They reappeared in a large, dusty chamber with beams of sunlight streaming in through the cracks in the walls.

“I forgot how much I hated teleporting.” Aludra groaned, peeling herself off the floor and sitting up. She smacked the side of her head with the heel of her palm, as though trying to rid her ears of water.

“Oh, rough teleport.” The Doctor groaned from a few feet away. “Ow!”

“Everyone okay?” Astraea asked, wincing as she sat up.

“No broken bones.” Aludra said as she got to her feet, adding dryly. “Slight loss of dignity, no change there, then.”

“I’m good.” The Doctor said, getting to his feet and glaring at Novice Hame as she got to her feet as well. “But you can go straight back out and start teleporting people out.”

“Starting with Martha.” Astraea added, glaring at the cat-nun as well.

“I only had the power for one trip.” Novice Hame shot back defensively.

“Then get some more!” The Doctor snarled angrily.

“Where are we?” Aludra asked, looking around curiously.

“High above, in the Over-city.” Novice Hame replied softly, looking around the dusty, unkempt chamber they had landed in.

“Good.” The Doctor growled. “’Cos you can tell the Senate of New New York that I’d like a word. They have got thousands of people trapped on the Motorway!”

“Millions!” Astraea corrected.

“But you’re inside the Senate, right now!” Novice Hame said. “May the Goddess Santori bless them.”

Using her bracelet, Novice Hame activated the lights and bathed the chamber in artificial light. The family of three looked around in shock, seeing the chamber filled with skeletons.

“Oh _Duw_!” Astraea exclaimed in horror, her hand flying to her mouth as her eyes widened in equal horror.

“What happened to everyone?” Aludra asked quietly, her gaze on the number of skeletons that surrounded them.

“They died, my Lady.” Novice Hame replied sadly. “The city died.”

“How long’s it been like this?” The Doctor asked softly, all traces of his earlier anger completely gone as he gazed around at the skeletons.

The Doctor, Astraea and Aludra crouched beside some of the skeletons that lay on the nearby dais. Novice Hame stood a few feet behind them, her aged feline face filled with sorrow for the tragedy that had befallen the city.

“According to decomp, I’d say about 24-25 years.” Aludra said, running her eyes over the skeleton in front of her. She pushed her horror at the sight that surrounded them aside, needing to focus on the problem at hand.

“It was 24 years ago.” Novice Hame confirmed.

“All of them?” The Doctor asked, looking up at the Senate pews without raising from his crouch. “Everyone?”

“What happened?” Astraea asked.

“A new chemical, a new mood.” Novice Hame replied, her voice quivering. She bent forward and pulled a plastic slip from the ragged, leathery sinews on the skeleton’s neck. It was a token similar to the one that the vendors had sold, except this one had ‘Bliss’ written on it. “They called it Bliss.”

“Let me guess, everyone tried it.” Aludra said dryly, not even bothering to form the statement as a question.

“They couldn’t stop.” Novice Hame said, shaking her head. “A virus mutated inside the compound and became airborne. Everything perished – even the virus in the end. It killed the world in 7 minutes flat. There was just enough time to close down the walkways and the flyovers, sealing off the Undercity.”

“Those people on the Motorway aren’t trapped or lost.” Aludra breathed in realization, getting to her feet and looking at the cat-nun with wide eyes. “They were _saved._ ”

“Indeed, my Lady.” Novice Hame confirmed, nodding.

“So the whole thing down there is running on automatic.” The Doctor said, his voice grave in realization as he gazed around the chamber.

“There’s not enough power to get them out.” Novice Hame said. “We did all we could to stop the system from choking.

“Who’s ‘we’?” The Doctor asked, looking at the cat-nun with a frown. “How did _you_ survive?”

“He protected me.” Novice Hame replied, a tone of reverence in her voice. “And he’s waited for you, both of you, these long years.”

“Doctor! Star-Flower!”  A voice called in their minds, the two Time Lords instantly recognizing the gravelly tone.

“Who is that, Ada?” Aludra asked, seeing a wide smile cross the Doctor and Astraea’s faces.

Instead of replying, the couple whipped around and dashed towards a shadowed corner of the stands. Aludra stared at their retreating backs for half a second before following after them with Novice Hame beside her.

The four came to a stop in front of a large cylindrical glass tank, smoke puffing out from the top in short bursts while countless wires attached it to various blinking machines around them. Inside the tank was a large, heart-shaped head with straggly hair, curved bow-lips and squinting eyes. The being gave of an aura of sheer serenity, despite the lines of exhaustion that surrounded his eyes and blended in with his leathery and weathered skin.

“The Face of Boe!” The Doctor exclaimed, partly in response to Aludra’s question and partly in amazement at meeting the being once again.

He knelt in front of the tank with Astraea crouching beside him, both gently pressing their hands against the glass. Aludra hung back slightly; suddenly nervous about meeting the serene being that her parents had told her about.

“Back in the old days, I was made his nurse as penance for my sins.” Novice Hame admitted quietly, her regret at her actions so many years earlier evident in her voice.

The Doctor and Astraea glanced back at Aludra, smiling reassuringly at the nervous woman.

“It’s okay, _Cariad_.” Astraea said, waving Aludra over “This is the Face of Boe. Remember your father and I told you stories about him?”

Aludra nodded mutely, a small nervous smile on her face as she approached the tank and crouched down between her parents.

“Sapphire-Bird.”  Boe whispered, his large eyes opening wider as a profound sense of warmth and love filled the room.  “You always did look good in red.” 

“There’s only one person who’s ever called me that.” Aludra said, recognition dawning on her face as she pressed her hand against the glass.  “Cheesecake?”  She asked mentally, directing the thought only to the being in front of her and not at her parents.  “You always did say red was my colour.” 

A loud, rumbling laughter filled their minds, a corresponding wide grin forming on the large being’s face.

“And you always were quite quick on the uptake, Sapphire-Bird.”  Boe said, the rumbling laughter fading into chuckles before stopping completely.  “Much like your mother.” 

The Doctor and Astraea exchanged looks but didn’t comment on Boe’s words. They both realized that Aludra must have said something telepathically to him, aiming her thoughts only on him and not her parents. They also realized that even though this was the first time _Aludra_ was meeting the Face of Boe, it was entirely likely that he had met her long ago from _his_ perspective. After all, things never did tend to happen in the right order with time travellers.

“They cannot know who I am unless they learn it themselves.”  Boe added, tuning his telepathic voice to Aludra alone.

“I understand.” Aludra replied, nodding.

The Doctor and Astraea exchanged looks again and shrugged. There must have been a reason the Face of Boe had tuned his voice to Aludra alone and he was old enough and wise enough to know what he was doing. Both of them had seen the love the great being had for their daughter the previous times they had come to the future and they knew that he wouldn’t do anything that would bring her harm. Even if they were only meeting him for the third time, they knew Aludra was his dearest friend just as he would eventually become the same to Aludra.

“Old friend, what happened to you?” The Doctor asked softly, taking in the exhaustion that filled Boe’s large eyes.

“Failing.”  Boe replied breathily.

“I don’t understand.” Aludra said, shaking her head, a small frown on her face.

"He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke." Novice Hame explained gently. "But with no one to maintain it, the city's power died. The Undercity would have fallen into the sea."

“So he saved them.” The Doctor said in realization.

“The Face of Boe wired himself into the Mainframe. He’s giving his life force just to keep things running.” Novice Hame admitted.

“But there are other planets out there!” Astraea exclaimed. “If you sent out a cry for help, any number of them would have answered!”

“The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe.” Novice Hame revealed.

“That would cause an automatic quarantine.” Aludra said with a frown, remembering what she had read. “It would last no less than 100 years.”

“Precisely 100 years.” Novice Hame said, nodding.

“So the two of you stayed here, on your own.” The Doctor said softly, looking between Novice Hame and the Face of Boe with an expression of concern on his face as he slowly got to his feet. “For all these years.”

“We had no choice.” Novice Hame said quietly, her aged eyes showing that she didn’t regret her decision to remain.

“Yes, you did.” Astraea said softly in understanding. She gracefully rose to her feet and reached out, putting a small hand on the cat-nun’s shoulder. “You _chose_ to remain behind.”

“Save them, Doctor, Star-Flower.”  Boe pleaded.  “Save them, Sapphire-Bird.” 

“Just you watch us.” Aludra said, her eyes shining with determination. “Just you watch.”

Astraea went to a nearby console and began typing rapidly, muttering under her breath.

“Aludra, Novice Hame, give me a hand with these wires.” The Doctor said, waving at the wires that surrounded them.

They worked in tandem for several minutes, the Doctor occasionally telling Aludra and Novice Hame while the Face of Boe watched with tired eyes.

“Got it!” Astraea said after several minutes, the screen showing a layout of the Motorway and all the cars that were registered. “Car465Diamond6.” She looked through the list of cars, the Doctor pulling on his glasses and coming to stand beside her while Aludra moved to stand on her other side. “It still registers.”

“That’s Martha!” The Doctor exclaimed in relief.

“Told you she was good.” Audra said, grinning smugly.

“Oh yes!” The Doctor exclaimed gleefully, turning to the cat-nun and handing her a thick piece of tubing. “Novice Hame, hold that in place.” He ran along the length of the wires, stopping in front of a console with blinking lights and various buttons. “Think, think think. Take the residual energy, invert it, feed it through the Electricity Beds...”

“There isn’t enough power!” Novice Hame reminded him.

“Oh, you’ve got power!” The Doctor called over his shoulder. “You’ve got me!” He began flipping the switches. “I’m brilliant with computers! Not as brilliant as Astraea, mind.”

“Novice Hame, Aludra, turn every switch on that bank up to maximum!” Astraea called, pointing at the bank in question before nimbly jumping over the wires and joining the Doctor by the control box in the ground.

Aludra and Novice Hame frantically did as they were told. The Doctor sprawled down on his side, flicking the switches while Astraea stood by the nearby console and typed rapidly.

“We can’t power up the City.” The Doctor said, waving his screwdriver at the control box while flipping the switches.

“But all the City needs is her people.” Astraea added, shooting a bright smile at Novice Hame over her shoulder.

“So what are you going to do?” Novice Hame asked in confusion.

“Yeah, I’m wondering that too.” Aludra pipped up.

“This!” The Doctor cried, shooting to his feet and pulling a massive lever to the ground. There was loud hum before the screens and consoles powered down and went blank. “No!” He knelt down by the control box, frantically waving his screwdriver at it to find out what went wrong. “No, no, no, no, no, no!”

“Ada, Nana, what went wrong?” Aludra asked, frowning.

“The transformers are blocked.” Astraea replied, shaking her head. “The signal can’t get through.”

“There’s got to be some way to override them.” The Doctor muttered, fiddling with the switches and waving his screwdriver at the control box.

“Doctor.”  Boe called in a raspy voice.

“Yeah, hold on. Not now.” The Doctor muttered distractedly.

“I give you my last…”  Boe said, letting out a raspy exhale.

Aludra crouched beside the tank, pressing a worried hand on the glass. Around them, the red lights blinked back to life, the room powering up once more as the Doctor and Astraea looked up.

“Hame, Aludra, look after him!” Astraea ordered, her and the Doctor shooting to their feet.

“Don’t you go dying on us, you big old face.” The Doctor said as Novice Hame began cranking a wheel on the left side of Boe’s tank.

“May I help?” Aludra asked Novice Hame with a shy smile.

“Sit with him, my Lady.” Novice Hame replied, smiling at the smaller woman that looked identical to the New Egyptian Queen.

Aludra nodded and crouched beside the tank, her hand on the glass.

“You’ve got to see this.” The Doctor said as he pulled down the massive lever once more. “The open road! Hah!”

Astraea wired up a microphone to the telecommunication system and stood in front of the screen, transmitting her image to all the cars on the Motorway.

“Hello everyone.” She said into the microphone with a bright smile. “I’m not Sally Calypso, she had been a hologram. My name is Astraea and I have an order for every one of you: drive up, right now. We’ve opened up the roof of the Motorway but you all _need_ to drive up.”

“So come on!” The Doctor called, hopping over the wires and stopping beside Astraea, speaking into the microphone. “Throttle up those engines. Drive up, all of you.”

“The entire Undercity, drive up and get out of the way.” Astraea said. “We’ve got to clear that Fast Lane.”

“Oi! Car465Diamond6. Martha! Drive up!” The Doctor called, watching as the cars flew of the screen one after another and into the skies above. “You’ve got access above! Now go!”

 _“Did I tell you, Doctor, Astraea? You’re not bad, sir, ma’am. You’re not bad at all!”_ Bran’s rich voice filtered through the transmitter, laughing delightedly as Valerie’s own laughter echoed from the background.

Aludra got to her feet and darted to the window, looking out and smiling brightly at the sight of thousands of motorcars drifting out amongst the spires of New New York.

“You keep driving, Bran.” Aludra called loudly, not looking away from the sight that lay outside the window. “All the way up because it’s waiting for you. You and Valerie and the children.”

“The City of New New York.” Astraea said, practically dancing across the room and joining Aludra by the window. “And it’s yours.”

“And don’t forget, I want my coat back!” The Doctor called as an afterthought, jumping over the wires that lay around them and joining the two women by the window.

 _“I reckon that’s a fair bargain, sir!”_ Bran said, still chuckling delightedly.

“And Car465Diamond6, I’ve sent you a flight path.” Astraea said. “Make your way to the Senate please.”

 _“On my way.”_ Martha replied, her delight evident in her voice.

“It’s been quite a while since I saw my friend.” Aludra chirped into the microphone before dancing away from the window, laughing delightedly as she went back to the Face of Boe. Her bright smile and laughter faded as she took in the raspy breaths Boe was taking and the look of worry and concern on Novice Hame’s face. “Ada! Nana!”

The Doctor and Astraea’s turned to Aludra and Hame, their smiles fading at the panicked note in their daughter’s voice. They watched in horror as the glass that surrounded the Face of Boe began to fracture into an intricate spider web.

~*~

Martha happily entered the Senate chamber, a bounce in her step and a bright smile on her face. She did a double take when she saw the skeletons that surrounded the chamber, her eyes going wide and the smile fading from her face.

“Doctor? Astraea?” She called, tiptoeing around the skeletons and trying not to look at them. “Aludra?”

“Over here, Martha.” Astraea called softly.

“Astraea! What happened out there?” Martha asked with a bright smile forming on her face as she ran around the corner. She skidded to a stop when she saw the Doctor, Astraea, Aludra and Novice Hame kneeling beside the upturned Face of Boe; he had fallen from his tank when the glass shattered. “What’s that?”

“This is the Face of Boe.” Aludra introduced, knowing she could not reveal who he really was because of the timelines.

It was entirely possible that the Doctor and Astraea hadn’t met the past version of Boe, back when he had been Jack Harkness, or as she liked to call him ‘Cheesecake’, so she would need to be very careful with how she spoke about him. In addition, there was also the fact that Jack was the leader of Torchwood Three in Cardiff, a detail that would most assuredly not endear the Captain to the Time Lord.

“It’s okay, Martha. Come say ‘hello’.” Astraea said gently, seeing the hesitation on Martha’s face. She gestured to the cat-nurse who smiled gently. “And this is Novice Hame, she’s a cat. Don’t worry.”

Martha stepped forward hesitantly, her gaze on the giant head and the cat-nurse. She had only ever seen people that resembled humans, this was the first time she was seeing beings that were aliens from her perspective.

“He’s the one that saved you, not us.” The Doctor said quietly.

“My Lord gave his life to save the City.” Novice Hame said mournfully. “And now he’s dying.”

“No, don’t say that.” The Doctor protested as Martha crouched down beside the cat-nurse. “Not old Boe, plenty of life left.”

“It’s good to breathe the air once more.”  Boe said, his voice a tired rumble in their minds.  “And to see my dearest friends again after so many years. My Sapphire-Bird.” 

Impulsively, Aludra reached out a stroked the leathery cheek with a tiny hand, the touch feather light.

“What about Djet and Merneith?” Astraea asked, looking at Novice Hame. She realized that it had to have been at least 24 years since the Face of Boe had seen the couple. “When was the last time you had seen them?”

“A few weeks before the quarantine had been implemented.” Novice Hame replied. “The couple had stopped by for a visit before continuing on their travel while the children had visited a few months before.”

“Who is he?” Martha asked.

“We’re not entirely sure.” Astraea admitted. “We’ve only met him a few times but he’s known us for so much longer.”

“Things never happen in the right order for us.” The Doctor explained softly. “All we know is that he’s someone Astraea and I would trust with our children, with our lives.”

“Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years.” The Doctor said, putting his arm around Astraea and watching as Aludra continued to stroke Boe’s cheek. “Isn’t that right? And you’re not about to give up now.”

“Everything has its time.”  Boe said.  “You know that, my old friends, better than most.” 

“The legend says more.” Novice Hame said.

“Don’t.” Astraea said firmly, her eyes widening. She remembered what Boe had said the last time they had seen him and what the legend had said. “There’s no need for that.”

“It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to the travellers.” Novice Hame continued.

“Yeah, but not yet.” Astraea said, her tone almost pleading. “Who needs secrets?”

“I have seen so much.”  Boe said, sighing heavily.  “Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind, as you are the last of yours, Doctor, Star-Flower.”  Martha looked at them in shock and confusion, the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra continuing to stare at Boe with tears in their eyes. He looked at Aludra, his love for her swimming in his large eyes.  “And you, my beloved Sapphire-Bird are the first of your kind – part Time Lord and part Chosen One.” 

“That’s why you’ve got to survive.” Aludra whispered tearfully. “You, Ada and Nana.”

“Don’t go.” The Doctor pleaded. “Please, don’t go.”

“I must. Farewell, Martha Jones, dear friend. Farewell, Siwan Aderyn Jones, Aludra, my Sapphire-Bird, _dw i'n dy garu di_ .”  Boe said, using Aludra’s human name, her past life name and his nickname for her.

 _“Dw i'n dy garu di.”_ Aludra whispered back, tears streaming down her face while her hand trembled against his cheek. Astraea wrapped her arm around her, holding her close while the Doctor had his own arm around them both.

“Know this, Time Lords.”  Boe whispered.  “You are not alone.” 

Boe’s eyes slipped shut for the last time and he breathed his last. Martha felt a tear slip down her cheek as she slowly got to her feet, Novice Hame sobbing quietly. Aludra stared at Boe, her eyes wide and her expression frozen in disbelief as tears streamed down her face. The Doctor and Astraea stared at him as well, both sporting a myriad of emotions that flickered across their faces; desperation became grief, became shock, disbelief, denial, astonishment and reluctant hope before they both settled on stunned.

Slowly, the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra got to their feet and stepped around the wires to stand next to Martha. The young medical student wrapped her arms around Aludra while the Doctor and Astraea wrapped their own arms around both of them. They looked at the peaceful expression on Boe’s face in silent and, somewhere beneath their grief, could feel happiness that the great being had died peacefully amongst those he had considered friends and loved ones.

After all, is that not what everyone wishes for? To die peacefully and among loved ones?

~*~

Half an hour later, the time travellers walked through the vendor’s alley in Pharmacy Town, making their way back to the TARDIS. The street was completely deserted; everyone gone now that access to the Over-city was established once more.

“All closed down.” The Doctor remarked, wearing his tan overcoat and walking arm-in-arm with Astraea.

“Happy?” Martha asked, walking beside Aludra.

“Happy happy.” The Doctor said, grinning.

“New New York can start over.” Astraea said softly, a small smile on her face. “And they’ve got Novice Hame to help and guide them.”

“Just what every city needs, cats in charge.” The Doctor said, grinning madly.

“I thought you didn’t like cats.” Aludra said, looking up at the Doctor with a cheeky grin on her face.

“Oh, they’re not all bad.” The Doctor said. “Come on, time we were off!”

He strode off with Astraea, Aludra a few steps behind them. Martha, however, stayed were she was and looked at their retreating backs.

“But what did he mean, though, the Face of Boe?” Martha asked, making the trio stop and turn back to look at her. “I get why he knew who we were, the time travel thing, but why did he say ‘you’re not alone’?”

“No idea.” The Doctor replied, shaking his head.

“You’ve got me.” Martha said, smiling softly and taking a few steps towards them.

“Is that what he meant?” Aludra asked as Martha reached out and took her hand, holding it tightly in her own. “That we have each other, our patchwork family and Martha?”

“I wish that was what he meant, girls, but I don’t think it was.” Astraea said, shaking her head apologetically. “I’m sorry.”

“Then what?” Martha asked, feeling a wave of sympathy wash over her at the sadness that was etched across the Doctor and Astraea’s faces, and the desperation of not wanting to be alone that was clear across Aludra’s.

“It doesn’t matter. We have each other and that’s all that matters.” The Doctor said, shaking his head. “Back to the TARDIS, off we go.” He turned and began walking away with Astraea. Martha set her jaw in determination, straightening a fallen chair before sitting in it and crossing her arms primly over her chest. With Audra standing beside her in silent agreement, she stared at the couple’s back until they turned around. “All right, you staying?”

“Until you talk to me properly, yes.” Martha replied, nodding. “He said you and Astraea were the last of your kind while Aludra was the first of hers. What does that mean?”

“It really doesn’t matter.” The Doctor insisted, not wanting to get into the details of their frankly very complicated lives.

“You don’t talk, but you never say!” Martha exclaimed frustratedly. “Why not?”

“Because it _hurts_!” Astraea snapped, tears in her eyes. The Doctor wrapped his arm around her trembling shoulders, pulling her close to him. “It hurts so much.”

Before Martha could respond to the painful words, a hymn began playing on the wind around them as the City sang their joy.

_“Fast falls the eventide.”_

“It’s the city.” Martha said, looking around. “They’re singing.”

_“The darkness deepens.”_

“We lied to you.” Aludra said quietly, grabbing another chair and taking a seat, crossing her legs at the ankles. “About a few things, in fact.”

_“Lord, with me abide. When other helpers fail.”_

“With you… we could pretend.” The Doctor admitted, stepping towards the two younger women and reaching out to take Aludra’s hand with his free one. “Just for a little while, we could imagine that they were all still alive, under that burnt orange sky.”

Martha stared at them in shock. She had never even begun to imaging that their people had died.

“We’re not just Time Lords.” Astraea said, swallowing thickly. “We’re the Last of the Time Lords. The Face of Boe confirmed what we had known for weeks: that Aludra isn’t a full-blooded Time Lady and that while she will live as long as her beloved, her father and I are still the only ones of our kind. He had been wrong about there being anyone else; it’s just the two of us.”

“What happened?” Martha prodded gently.

_“Swift to close ebbs out life’s little day.”_

The Doctor looked around and spotted a chair. Letting go of Astraea and Aludra, he pulled it over and sat down, tugging his fiancée down onto his lap and wrapping his arms around her waist.

“There was a war.” Astraea began, wrapping her arm around the Doctor’s neck to support herself on his lap. “A Time War. The Last Great Time War. Our people fought a race called the Daleks for the sake of all creation.”

“And they lost.” The Doctor added solemnly. "They lost…everyone lost. They're all gone now. Our family, our friends, even that sky."

“Nana and I had died in that War.” Aludra said, wrapping one arm around herself while Astraea reached out and took her other hand in her own. “For some reason, we were reincarnated as humans on Earth.”

“Maybe _that’s_ what the Face of Boe meant.” Martha said, hopeful for her new friends. “You and Aludra had been reincarnated, so it’s possible that others had been as well.”

“It’s impossible.” The Doctor said sadly, shaking his head. “We would know if any of them had survived. On some subconscious level, I knew that a part of Astraea and Aludra had survived even if I didn’t realize it until they began to reawaken. Now that I know what the feeling was, I would recognize it if others had been reincarnated as well.”

It had been the subconscious knowledge that they had survived in some way that enabled _him_ to survive the Time War himself, that gave him the strength to end the War. Even if it meant doing something that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

“Oh, you should have seen it, Martha.” Astraea said, a small smile crossing her face as the good memories began washing over her. “The second sun would rise in the south and the mountains would shine!”

"The leaves on the trees were silver, and when they caught the light every morning, it looked like a forest on fire…"

"When the autumn came, the Elanor and Niphredil flowers would bloom afresh; the breeze would blow through the Lairelossë tree branches like a song…"

Aludra closed her eyes, listening as her parents and letting the faint memories wash over her in remembrance. She remembered how Elanor flowers – small, star-shaped yellow flowers – and Niphredil flowers – small white flowers that resembled the snowdrops that grew on Earth – had been her mother’s favourite kinds of flowers. The Lairelossë were fragrant evergreen trees that had small white blossoms blooming along their branches.

_“The darkness deepens like a song…”_

And so, the Doctor and Astraea, the Last of the Time Lords, told their daughter and a simple human of their home, Gallifrey. Without even knowing it, the young medical student was helping the couple and Aludra heal from their recent losses the same way Astraea had once helped the Doctor heal so long ago.

_Links:_

_*Astraea Gallifreyan dress -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879481056050/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879481056050/)

 _*Astraea earrings (lavender diamonds as the petals surrounding a white diamond) -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879481370983/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879481370983/)

 _*Astraea shoes -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879470227220/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879470227220/)

 _*Aludra outfit –_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879476322144/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879476322144/)

 _*Astraea purse -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/193443746473971537/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/193443746473971537/)

_Notes: The Elanor and Niphredil flowers as well as the Lairelossë trees that are mentioned were taken from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings._


	5. Daleks in Manhattan

**Daleks in Manhattan**

The TARDIS materialized with the typical grinding sound in a corner of an eleven-pointed Army base exterior wall. Martha and Aludra stepped outside with similar bounces in their steps and bright grins on their faces.

“Where are we?” Martha asked, looking around as the Doctor and Astraea stepped out behind the two younger women.

She was dressed in her pink tank top and denim jeans with the red leather jacket partly zipped overtop. Her hair was tied up in a twist and she her necklace around her neck. She had once again opting to wear her own clothes rather than choose from the selection provided by the TARDIS’ vast Wardrobe.

“Ah, smell that Atlantic breeze." The Doctor said with a bright grin, inhaling deeply. "Nice and cold. Lovely.”

He was dressed in a blue suit with an ice blue dress shirt and a loose dark red-blue tie with the tan coat unbuttoned overtop. On his left wrist was his watch while on his feet where his red and white converse. His hair was in artful disarray of chestnut brown spikes.

“Girls, have you met our friend?” Astraea asked with a bright smile, turning and looking up at a monument that rose up behind them against the horizon.

She was dressed in an amethyst purple saree with a short-sleeved blouse* and the matching amethyst purple leaf bindi on her forehead, her hair tied back in its usual braid and interwoven with a matching ribbon. She had a pair of small flower shaped amethyst and white diamond earrings in her ears* and a small stack of amethyst purple bangles* on both wrists with her engagement and Perception Filter rings on her left and right ring fingers respectively. An amethyst purple drawstring bag, embroidered with darker purple beadwork*, hung from one wrist and on her feet were a pair of black leather 5” high heeled sandals*.

Martha and Aludra turned around and followed Astraea’s line of sight, looking up at the looming figure of Lady Liberty.

“Is that…?” Martha asked, trailing off and covering her mouth in stunned disbelief. “Oh, my God!”

“That’s that Statue of Liberty.” Aludra said faintly, her sapphire eyes wide. No matter how long she traveled with her parents, the wonder and amazement never ceased to astound her.

Deciding not to go with her usual pant or skirt suits, Aludra was instead dressed in a sapphire blue A-line dress that reached her knees, a light pink lining along the cap sleeves and neckline with a light pink bow on the chest*. She had her long hair tied back in a half pony, held by a light pink ribbon and small sapphire studs in her ears. Hanging from her wrist was a black drawstring purse, embroidered with sapphire blue beadwork and on her feet were a pair of black leather 5” high heeled Mary Jane pumps*.

“Gateway to the New World.” Astraea said. “‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free’.”

“That’s so brilliant!” Martha exclaimed, laughing delightedly. “I’ve always wanted to go to New York.” She paused for a moment, remembering their most recent trip before adding, “I mean the real New York, not the new, new, new, new, new one.”

“Well, it seems that’s the genuine article.” Aludra remarked, turning around and nodding at the bustling city across the river.

“So good, they named it twice.” The Doctor said as they walked across the grass and to a ledge, looking out at the New York skyline. He had his arm around Astraea’s waist while Aludra and Martha had their own arms linked. “Mind you, it was New Amsterdam originally. Harder to say twice. No wonder it didn't catch on. New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam."

“I wonder what year it is.” Martha said, looking out at the buildings across the river. “’Cos look, the Empire State Building’s not even finished yet.”

“Work in progress.” Astraea said, nodding and looking up at the building.

“Still got a couple of floors to go.” The Doctor remarked as Aludra looked around and spotted a newspaper. “If I know my history, that makes the date somewhere around-”

“November 1st, 1930.” Martha and Aludra said in unison.

“You girls are getting good at this.” The Doctor said impressed, glancing at the two women to see them looking at a newspaper that Aludra was holding.

“That’s nearly 80 years ago.” Aludra said softly.

“It’s funny, ‘cos you see those old newsreels, all in black and white, like it’s so far away.” Martha said thoughtfully. “But here we are.”

“For us, it’s right now.” Aludra said, grinning brightly.

“So come on, then.” Martha said, laughing lightly. “Where do we go first?”

“I’m thinking shopping.” Aludra suggested. “Get some authentic 1930’s fashions for the Wardrobe.”

“Shopping’s going to have to wait.” Astraea said regretfully, looking at the younger women apologetically.

“Our detour just got longer.” The Doctor said, holding up the newspaper and showed them the headline.

“‘Hooverville Mystery Deepens’.” Aludra read the headline.

“What’s Hooverville?” Martha asked curiously.

“It’s a shanty town that had been set up during the Great Depression all across the USA.” Astraea started to explain as they began walking down the path towards Central Park.

“Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the USA, came to power a year ago.” The Doctor continued, walking arm-in-arm with Astraea. “Up till then, New York was a boom town.”

“The Roaring Twenties.” Astraea added. “And then…”

“The Wall Street Crash, yeah?” Martha asked, walking arm-in-arm with Aludra on the Doctor’s other side. “When was that, 1929?”

“I remember Adam helping David with his history project once, when it was on the Great Depression.” Aludra said thoughtfully. “The entire economy had been wiped out overnight, thousands of people suddenly becoming unemployed.”

“All of a sudden, the huddled masses doubled in number with nowhere to go.” The Doctor said sadly, nodding. “So they ended up here, in Central Park.”

A man on a bicycle rode past them, ringing his bell cheerily and waving at them as he passed.

“What, they actually lived in the park?” Martha asked. She looked at the trio with an incredulous expression as they approached the shantytown, a collection of tents and shacks that were overlooked by the Manhattan skyscrapers. “In the middle of the city?”

“Yup.” Aludra replied, nodding.

“Ordinary people lost their jobs.” The Doctor explained quietly as they walked through the town. “Couldn’t pay the rent and they lost everything.”

“No one’s helping them.” Astraea said softly. “You only come to Hooverville when there’s nowhere else to go.”

Her voice was filled with compassion for the suffering that people had endured during the terrible time. The residents of the shanty town eyed them with mistrust, Martha and Aludra nervously moving closer towards the Doctor and Astraea. In their clean and modern clothes, the four travelers were completely out of place among the residents who were dressed in barely together rags.

“You thievin’ lowlife!” A male voice shouted, drawing the travelers’ attention.

They turned around the corner just in time to see a fight break out as a black man hit a white man. Several people darted forwards, trying to break up the fight before it escalated any further.

“All morning, I waited in the bread line for a single loaf.” The black man continued, hitting his opponent again and sending him to the ground.

“I didn’t touch it!” The white man spat defensively, getting to his feet.

“Somebody stole it!” The black man shouted angrily, shrugging off the hands holding him back.

An older man stepped out from his tent and stalked towards the fighting pair. The first man lunged at his opponent but was held back once again, the white man also held back.

“Cut that out!” The older man shouted firmly, stepping between the two fighting men and physically holding them apart. Several residents wandered over to see what was going on. “Cut that out, right now!”

“He stole my bread!” The black man shouted.

“That’s enough!” The older man said firmly, stopping the first man from continuing his line of accusation. He looked at the white man, asking, “Did you take it?”

“I don’t know what happened.” The man replied, glaring at his attacker. “He just went crazy.”

The first man lunged at his opponent again. Before he could strike, he was held back but continued to struggle against the hold.

“That’s enough!” The older man shouted firmly as the four travelers approached, the Doctor and Astraea still arm-in-arm, as were Aludra and Martha. He turned to the second man, gazing at him with a piercing look. “Now think real careful before you lie to me.”

The second man stared back, hesitating for several seconds before his shoulders slumped defeatedly.

“I’m starving, Solomon.” The man said, looking at the ground guiltily.

The older man, Solomon, held his hand out and the white man pulled a loaf of bread out from his coat. The crowd muttered under their breaths as he handed it to the older man, his guilty and defeated expression clear on his face.

“We’re all starving.” Solomon said in gentle reminder, taking the loaf and breaking it in half. “We all got family somewhere.” He handed a half to each man. “No stealing and no fighting. You know the rules.” He looked out at the assembled crowd, raising his voice so everyone could hear. “13 years ago, I fought in the Great War. A lot of us did. And the only reason we got through was because we stuck together. No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings. It's all we got.”

The two fighting men glared at each other before walking away, heading off in separate directions.

“Come on.” The Doctor said quietly to the three women. He walked towards Solomon, Astraea being tugged along with him as they kept pace with the older human. “I suppose that makes you the boss around here.”

“And, uh, who might you be?” Solomon asked as he stopped walking and turned to look at the travellers, taking in their well-attired forms.

“He’s the Doctor, she’s Astraea, I’m Martha and this is Aludra.” Martha introduced them.

The two Welshwomen smiled when their names were mentioned, receiving a small smile in response.

“A doctor?” Solomon repeated in surprise, eyeing the Doctor. “Huh. Well, we got, uh, stockbrokers, we got a lawyer, but you’re the first doctor. Neighborhood gets classier by the day.”

He put his hands out over a nearby cooking fire, a pot suspended over the flames. The four time travellers exchanged looks, each feeling a wave of admiration surge through them for the man; he carried himself with a down-to-earth and commanding presence, eyes filled with a keen intelligence despite their rough living.

“How many people live here, sir?” Aludra asked curiously.

“At any one time, hundreds.” Solomon replied, glancing at her. “No place else to go. But I will say this about Hooverville, we are a truly equal society. Black, white, all the same, all starving. So you're welcome, the four of you.” He looked at the Doctor with a piercing gaze. “But tell me, Doctor, you're a man of learning, right? Explain this to me.” He turned and looked up at the Empire State Building that loomed in the distance through the trees, the travelers following his gaze. “That there's going to be the tallest building in the world. How come they can do that, when we got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?”

The Doctor remained silent, his soulful brown eyes glittering as Solomon gave the Building one last look before turning away.

“I never really realized how difficult this time was for everyone.” Martha said quietly, wrapping her arms around her chest as she turned around and looked at the residents of Hooverville that were going about their tasks.

“We grew up in a time where all of this is just a story.” Aludra said quietly, playing with a lock of her dark hair. “Just something we would learn about in school or hear about from our grandparents.”

“That’s the thing about time-travel; you begin to see things differently.” Astraea said, leaning against the Doctor’s chest and looking at the two younger women. “Come on, we can ask Solomon about the news headline.”

The two women nodded and the Doctor lead them back towards Solomon’s tent, reaching just as the man was dumping out the last dredges of his coffee into the fire.

“So, men going missing.” The Doctor said, drawing the man’s attention and pulling the newspaper out from his coat pocket, holding it up. “Is this true?”

“It’s true all right.” Solomon replied with a heavy sigh.

He took the paper and turned, going inside his tent.

“What does ‘missing’ mean?” Astraea asked, raising the tent flap so Solomon could hear her while the travelers stood outside.

“Men must come and go here all the time.” The Doctor added in agreement.

“It’s not as though anyone’s actually keeping a register or anything.” Astraea pointed out.

“Come on in.” Solomon said, removing his hat and waving them inside. The travelers stepped inside the tent as he continued, “This is different.”

“In what way?” Martha asked, sitting across from the man.

“Something takes them, at night.” Solomon replied, looking at the travelers with a tired expression. The Doctor and Astraea sat next to him while Aludra sat between her and Martha, creating a small circle inside the tent. “We hear something, someone calls out for help. By the time we get there, they're gone. Like they vanished into thin air.”

“And you’re sure someone’s taking them?” The Doctor asked, looking at Solomon with narrowed eyes.

“ _Anwyll_ , when you next to nothing, you hold tightly onto the little you _do_ have.” Astraea said quietly, giving her fiancée a knowing look.

She was referring to her own experience when she had been reincarnated; after Glenda and Ifan Jones died, the sisters only had each other, Johnny and the Tyler family. Now, with the loss of Rose, Jackie and Mickey to Pete’s World and Johnny to the Cybermen, they only had one another and they damn well weren’t going to let each other go without a fight.

The Doctor wrapped his arm around Astraea while she reached out and took Aludra’s hand.

“You took the words right outta my mouth.” Solomon said, nodding in agreement. “Your knife, blanket, you take it with you. You don't leave bread uneaten, a fire still burning.”

“Have you been to the police?” Martha asked, her brow furrowed in sympathy.

“Yeah, we tried that.” Solomon said, turning to Martha. He scoffed and shook his head. “Another deadbeat goes missing, big deal.”

“So the question is _who’s_ taking them and _what_ for.” Aludra summarized thoughtfully.

“Solomon!” A voice called from outside the tent before a young man stuck his head inside. “Solomon, Mr. Diagoras is here.”

The young man withdrew as Solomon sighed, got to his feet and followed the young man out. The Doctor, Astraea, Martha and Aludra exchanged looks before getting to their feet and leaving the tent. They merged in with the small crowd of Hooverville residents were gathered around a man dressed sharply in a dark suit with slicked back hair, an equally sharp dressed man wearing a hat standing on either side of him.

“I need men.” The man, Mr. Diagoras, called to the crowd. “Volunteers. I got a little work for you and you sure look like you can use the money.”

“Yeah, what is the money?” The young man that had alerted Solomon called out, speaking with a Tennessee accent.

“A dollar a day.” Mr. Diagoras replied.

“What’s the work?” Solomon asked.

“A little trip down the sewers.” Mr. Diagoras replied. “Got a tunnel collapsed needs clearing and fixing. Any takers?”

“A dollar a day is a slave wage.” Solomon said as the crowd murmured their agreement. “And men don’t always come back up, do they?”

“Accidents happen.” Mr. Diagoras said dismissively, unconcerned.

“What do you mean, what sort of accidents?” The Doctor asked with a frown.

“You don’t need the work? That’s fine.” Mr. Diagoras said, sneering at the Doctor before looking at the crowd at large. “Anybody else?” The Doctor raised his hand and Diagoras looked at him, “Enough with the questions.”

“Oh, no, no, no.” The Doctor said. “I’m volunteering. I’ll go.”

“I’ll kill you for this.” Martha growled under her breath, raising her hand.

“Not if I beat you to it.” Aludra muttered, raising her hand and glaring at her father.

“Join the club, girls.” Astraea said, sighing as she raised her own hand as well.

“Anybody else?” Mr. Diagoras asked, looking around the crowd.

The young man who had called them raised his hand, as did Solomon after a moment of hesitation.

~*~

One after another, the small group climbed down the ladder leading into the sewer system that ran beneath the city. Each of them carried a hand-torch, Aludra tying her hair back into a knot at the shoulder blades to keep the long locks out of the way.

“Turn left.” Mr. Diagoras began instructing once the last person, the Doctor, climbed down the ladder. “Go about half a mile, follow Tunnel 273. The fall’s right ahead of you. You can’t miss it.”

“And when do we get our dollar?” The young man with the Tennessee accent, whom they learned was named Frank, asked with a hesitant expression on his face. He had a coil of rope slung over his shoulder.

“When you come back up.” Mr. Diagoras replied.

“And if we _don’t_ come back up?” The Doctor asked with a hint of steel in his voice, holding firmly to Astraea’s hand while holding a torch in the other.

“Then I got no one to pay.” Mr. Diagoras replied belligerently, evidently missing the steel note in the Time Lord’s voice.

“We’ll be back.” Solomon said confidently, shining the torch beam at Mr. Diagoras.

“Let’s hope so.” Martha muttered, one hand holding her torch and holding her leather jacket closed with the other.

Solomon turned and headed down the tunnel, Martha, Frank and Aludra following behind him. Astraea and the Doctor stared at Mr. Diagoras while the man in question tried not to fidget under the piercing gaze. For several moments, they just stared at the man before smirking at him and turning, following the others down the tunnel.

“This place reminds me of a Labyrinth.” Aludra said, shining her torch along the wet walls.

“We just gotta stick together.” Frank said reassuringly to Martha and Aludra as the couple caught up to them, eyeing their dank surroundings. “It’s easy to get lost. It’s like a huge rabbit warren. You could hide an army down here.”

“So what about you, Frank?” Martha asked curiously as they turned a corner. “You’re not from around these parts, are you?”

“Oh, you could talk.” Frank said, chuckling. “No, no. I’m from Tennessee, born and bred.”

“Why are you here, in New York?” Aludra asked as the Doctor and Astraea moved past them and joined Solomon in front.

“Oh, my Daddy died, Momma couldn’t afford to feed us all.” Frank replied, shrugging. “So, I’m the oldest, up to me to feed myself. So I put on my coat, hitched up here on the railroads.” He smiled; trying to be nonchalant but the expression didn’t quite reach his eyes. “There's a whole lot of runaways in the camp, younger than me, from all over. Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas… Solomon keeps a lookout for us.” Solomon glanced back at the three of them at the sound of his name, running his gaze over them to make sure they were okay. Frank looked between Aludra and Martha, the two women beside each other. “So, what about you? The both of you, you're a _long_ way from home.”

“Yeah, I’m just a hitcher, too.” Martha said, smiling slightly.

“You stick with me, you’ll be all right.” Frank said, smiling reassuringly. He looked at Aludra on Martha’s other side, asking, “What about you, Miss. Aludra?”

“They’re family.” Aludra replied simply, nodding at the Doctor and Astraea’s back.

Frank nodded in understanding, slightly wistful at the older woman’s fortune of having her family still with her.

The Doctor and Astraea, satisfied that their Companion and daughter were getting along with Frank, turned to Solomon.

“So, this Diagoras bloke, who is he then?” The Doctor asked curiously.

“A couple of months ago, he was just another foreman.” Solomon replied. “Now, it seems like he's running most of Manhattan.”

“That’s a bit odd.” Astraea remarked.

“How’d he manage that, then?” The Doctor asked, nodding in agreement with Astraea.

“These are strange times.” Solomon said, his voice heavy with weariness. “A man can go from being King of the Hill to the lowest of the low overnight. I guess for some folks, it works the other way ‘round.”

“Whoa!” The Doctor exclaimed, stopping short abruptly and drawing everyone’s attention.

In front of them, laying on the wet ground was a gelatinous blob that glowed a sickly purple-green color.

The Doctor shone his torch through the blob, Astraea next to him and peering at it curiously.

“Is it radioactive or something?” Martha asked, taking a step closer to look at it as the Doctor and Astraea crouched down to get a closer look. Crouching next to the couple, the Doctor placing his torch on the ground, she nearly gagged at the stench that came from it. “It’s gone off, whatever it is.”

“Looks like a jellyfish.” Aludra chirped. “Or a brain.” She looked at the blob and cocked her head to the side. “A giant spider brain? A radioactive giant spider brain?”

Frank and Solomon looked between the travelers and the strange blob in confusion, both men wondering what was going on.

The Doctor ignored the two of them as he pulled on his glasses and picked up the blob, examining the blob curiously.

“And you had to go and pick it up.” Martha groaned resignedly.

“At least he didn’t poke it with a stick.” Astraea remarked as the Time Lord leaned forward and sniffed the blob. “Or my Bo-Staff.”

"Or lick it." Aludra chirped helpfully, earning a nod of agreement from Astraea and a look of disgust from Martha.

“Honey, shine your torch through it.” The Doctor said, holding the blob out to Astraea.

She did as he asked, watching the bright beam of light pass through the almost fluorescent-colored gelatinous blob.

“Composite organic matter.” She said thoughtfully, getting a nod of agreement from the Doctor. She looked at Martha and Aludra, the two women watching curiously. “Girls, medical opinions?”

“It’s not human.” Martha said, shaking her head. “I know that.”

“Definitely not human.” Aludra confirmed, looking around the tunnel. “There’s something else though.” She glanced at the rest of the group, Solomon and Frank watching them quizzically, before looking around the tunnel once again. “We’ve gone beyond half a mile in and there is no sign of a collapse. At all.”

“Good point.” The Doctor said, getting to his feet. “So why did Mr. Diagoras send us down here?”

“As long as there are no giant spiders milling around, I’m flexible.” Aludra muttered. “I still have nightmares about the Empress.”

“Don’t remind me.” Astraea groaned, shaking her head.

The Doctor glared darkly at the wall, remembering the large arachnid that had tried to kill his fiancée and daughter. He remembered the darkness that surged through him, the memories that had overtaken him and blended past with present. If it hadn’t been for Donna bringing them out of their haunted memories, he, Astraea and Aludra would’ve died beneath the Thames along with the redhead.

“Where are we now?” Martha asked, seeing the expression on the Time Lord’s face and bringing the small family back on topic. “What’s above us?”

“These tunnels run beneath all of Manhattan.” Astraea replied, shaking herself out of her thoughts and focusing on the present.

“Miss. Aludra is right, we’ve gone way beyond half a mile.” Solomon said in agreement, looking around at the tunnel walls closely as they resumed walking. “There’s no collapse, nothing.”

“That Diagoras bloke, was he lying?” Martha asked, looking worried.

“It would seem so.” Aludra said softly.

“So why did he want people to come down here?” Frank asked, looking around warily.

“Solomon, I think it’s time you take Frank and the girls back.” The Doctor said, making everyone look at him. “Astraea and I will be quicker on our own.”

Aludra frowned, noticing the minute tenseness in her parents’ shoulders and realized that they might have found trouble. She glanced at Martha and saw that the pretty med-student looked ready to argue with the Time Lord.

Before anyone could say anything though, an eerie squeal echoed through the tunnels.

“What the hell was that?” Solomon asked, whipping around to face the direction the sound came from.

“Hello?” Frank called loudly.

“Ssh!” Martha hissed.

“What if it’s one of the folk gone missing?” Frank argued defensively. “You’d be scared, half-mad, down here on your own.”

“You think they’re still alive?” The Doctor asked curiously.

“Heck, we ain’t seen no bodies down here.” Frank pointed out logically, no small of optimism in his voice. “Maybe they just got lost.”

Another squeal echoed through the tunnels and the small group whipped around, trying to pinpoint the location.

“I know I never heard nobody make a sound like that.” Solomon said.

“Where’s it coming from?” Frank asked. More squeals echoed through the surrounding tunnels; it was nigh impossible to pinpoint a direction. “Sounds like there’s more than one of ‘em.”

“I think you’re right.” Aludra said, glancing at Frank while straining her ears to listen. “But the question is, more than one of what?”

“This way.” The Doctor said, taking a cautious step forward in one direction.

“No.” Solomon said, shining his torch down an intersecting tunnel. “That way.”

Martha shone her torch down the tunnel Solomon was indicating. The beam of light fell upon a figure, huddled in a corner just past a sewage grate in the ceiling.

“Doctor.” Martha whispered in a shaky voice.

The Doctor and Astraea came back to the group, peering down the tunnel as well. The huddled figure grunted indistinctly, eyeing the group from the shadows.

“Who are you?” Solomon asked authoritatively.

“Are you lost?” Frank asked, his tone more gentle then the older man’s. He took a step forward, his torch held up as he continued to speak, his tone shaky. “Can you understand me? I’ve been thinking about folk lost down here.”

“It’s alright, Frank.” The Doctor said, putting a hand on the younger man’s shoulder and keeping him from going any further. “Just stay back. Let me have a look.” He took a step forward, the group watching with sharp eyes. “He’s got a point, though, my mate Frank. I'd hate to be stuck down here on my own.” The huddled figure squealed as the Time Lord crouched down. “We know the way out. Daylight. If you come with us…” He trailed off, shining his torch on the figure to reveal a pig-like face and ears, dressed in mauve-colored overalls. “Oh, but what are you?”

“Is that… some kind of carnival mask?” Solomon asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

“No, it’s real.” The Doctor said, glancing at the group.

Astraea stepped forward, joining her fiancée as she crouched down next to him. She looked at the pig-man, reaching out and gently touching its face making it flinch involuntarily.

She could feel the remnants of an emotional signature that was uniquely human. All species in the Universe had their own emotional signature, unique to them alone. Some Races like the Cybermen use Inhibitors to cancel out their emotions while others like the Daleks remove everything except hate.

“I think his DNA’s been spliced.” She said with a frown, trying to sort through the basic emotions of _‘serve’_ and _‘obey’_ that were interspersed with the feelings of pain.

“Wait, you mean like what the Slitheen had done to the Space Pig?” Aludra asked, her eyes going wide in horror.

“No.” The Doctor said, shaking his head. “They had taken an actual pig and genetically modified it into a humanoid form with an enhanced brain. This is a human that’s been spliced with pig DNA.”

“Oh my God.” Martha breathed in horror, listening to the conversation between the trio. While she hadn’t understood most of what the trio had said, she understood enough to know that what they were talking about had to be incredibly painful for the creature.

“I’m so sorry.” The Doctor said to the pig-man, his soulful brown eyes filled with sympathy. “But listen to me, I promise we can help. Who did this to you?”

“Nana, Ada.” Aludra called nervously, her gaze not on her parents but rather on the wall just beyond them, showing shadowed figures approaching. “I think you should get back.” The shadowed figures stepped into the torch-beams, revealing themselves as a group of five or six pig-men. “Now!”

The Doctor and Astraea turned to the squad of pig-men, eyeing the grunting figures and slowly rose to their feet.

“Good idea, honey.” The Doctor said, slowly walking backwards and angling himself in front of Astraea.

“They’re following you.” Martha said, her voice quavering.

The pig-men’s movements were slow and sluggish, yet a positively feral gleam was in their eyes. Everything about them that had once been human was gone, they were just mindless drones with a thirst for blood.

“Yeah, we noticed that.” The Doctor said, not moving his gaze from the approaching pig-men. “Thanks.”

“Ada, I think we’ve gone past the ‘back away slowly and non-threateningly’ stage.” Aludra said as Martha reached out and grabbed her hand tightly.

“Yeah, we have.” The Doctor agreed sheepishly as they all began backing away slowly. “Right then, girls, Frank, Solomon…”

“What?” Martha asked, her voice trembling.

“Basically, run!” Astraea shouted.

The small group turned and ran down the corridor, pounding through the darkness, shoes slapping against the wet concrete. They could hear the pig-men chasing behind them, heralded by the cacophony of shrieks.

At the head of the group, Martha skidded to a halt at the junction.

“Which way?” She asked frantically, looking between the two tunnels that lay before them.

Aludra mentally retraced their route coming in; they had turned left so to leave, they had to…

“Turn right!” Aludra shouted from behind Frank.

Martha led the group down the tunnel, more than eight pig-men chasing behind them. They were rapidly catching up despite their sluggish movements.

Spotting something at the end of a side passageway as they passed it, Astraea called out, “There’s a ladder! Come on!”

The Doctor ran ahead of her, scrambling up the ladder and pulling out his screwdriver to open the manhole cover. Opening it, he climbed up and held his hand out to Astraea, pulling her up and out. Martha ran to the ladder, tossing her torch to the side as she scrambled up the ladder behind the couple.

“Miss. Aludra.” Solomon said, pushing the younger woman in front of him and sending her up the ladder.

The pig-men squealed as they ran passed them. The one at the end noticed Frank and Solomon, the two men still down in the tunnel and shrieked, running towards them. Frank tossed his coiled rope to the side and picked up a crowbar, holding it out in front of himself as a weapon.

“Frank!” Solomon shouted, hesitating at the bottom of the ladder for a moment before climbing up.

Frank looked back at the group, seeing everyone already out of the tunnel and ran for the ladder. He scrambled up, the Doctor and Solomon holding out their hands to him.

“C’mon Frank!” Solomon shouted as the younger man grabbed hold of the outstretched hand. “C’mon!”

The pig-men appeared behind Frank just as he reached halfway up the ladder and grabbed his legs, pulling him down. He struggled against their grip, trying to get out of their hold and reach the top of the ladder.

“I’ve got you!” The Doctor shouted, struggling to keep his hold on Frank’s hand. “C’mon!” Frank struggled and screamed as the pig-men pulled him down. “Come on!”

Frank’s hand slipped out from the Doctor’s and the pig-men pulled him away.

“Frank!” Solomon shouted.

“NOOOO!” The Doctor screamed.

Solomon pushed the Time Lord away as the pig-men climbed the ladder, slamming the manhole cover shut.

“We can’t go after him.” Solomon said regretfully, locking the cover to prevent anyone from following after them.

“We’ve got to go back down!” The Doctor shouted, darting to the cover and trying to open it again. “We can’t just leave him!”

“No! I’m not losing anyone else!” Solomon shouted, grabbing the Doctor and hauling him away from the cover. Martha and Aludra gasped in sorrow, covering their mouths while Astraea wrapped her arms around the two of them comfortingly. “Those creatures were from Hell. From Hell itself! If we go after them, they'll take us all! There's nothing we can do.” He looked down, despair flooding him. "I'm sorry.”

“All right, then!” A pretty blonde woman cried out, jumping out from behind a shelf and pointing a gun at the small group. Martha, Aludra and Astraea immediately put their hands in the air, exchanging looks. The blonde cocked the gun in warning, aiming it at the men. “Hands in the air and no funny business.” The Doctor and Solomon raised their hands slowly, eyeing the gun. “Now tell me, you schmucks, what’ve you done with Laszlo?”

“Who’s Laszlo?” Aludra asked curiously, cocking her head to the side.

“Laszlo’s my boyfriend.” The blonde woman explained, leading the group out of the props room they had climbed into and towards a nearby dressing room. “Or _was_ my boyfriend until two weeks ago.” She sat at the table, the gun still pointed at the group standing in the doorway; the Doctor angled himself in front of the others protectively, particularly Astraea and Aludra. “No letter, no goodbye, no nothing.” She waved the gun around haphazardly. “And I’m not stupid; I know some guys are just pigs, but not my Laszlo. I mean, what guy asks you to meet his _mom_ before he vamooses?”

“That’s a good point.” Aludra said, peeking around the Doctor’s taller from to look at the blonde. She pulled her hair out of its knot, letting the silken curls fall down her frame and held back by her half pony. “Not many guys disappear _after_ asking that.”

“Relationship wise, it’s about as serious as a marriage proposal.” Astraea remarked in agreement.

“Uh, it might… might just help if you put that down.” The Doctor said, pointing at the gun the blonde was waving around.

“Huh?” The blonde asked before looking down at the gun and blinking, as though realizing she was still holding it. “Oh, sure.” She tossed it into a nearby basket. The Doctor jumped back slightly, eyeing the gun as though expecting it to go off from the careless handling. “Oh, come on.” The blonde rolled her eyes and giggled. “It’s not real. It’s just a prop. It was either that or a spear.”

“What do you think happened to Laszlo?” Martha asked, stepping around the Doctor and into the dressing room.

“I wish I knew.” The blonde replied. “One minute he’s there, next second, _zip,_ vanished.”

“Listen, um, what was your name?” The Doctor asked gently, stepping forwards and drawing the blonde’s attention to him.

“Tallulah.” The blonde, Tallulah, replied.

“Tallulah.” The Doctor repeated.

“3 L’s and an H.” Tallulah added.

“Right.” The Doctor said. “We can try and find Laszlo but he’s not the only one.”

“There are people disappearing every night.” Astraea finished.

"And there are creatures." Solomon breathed, his eyes haunted by the image of the pig-men. "Such creatures."

“Whaddya mean creatures’?” Tallulah asked, peering around the travelers to look at Solomon.

"Look." The Doctor cut in. "Listen, just trust me, everyone is in danger. We need to find out exactly what this is." He pulled the blob from his pocket and held it up. "Because then we'll know exactly what we're fighting."

“Yuck.” Tallulah said, leaning away from the Time Lord with a disgusted expression on her face.

“Do you know if there’s anything we can use to make a scanner?” Astraea asked.

“I don’t know, but you can check in the props room.” Tallulah replied.

“Thanks.” The Doctor said, turning and hurrying out of the dressing room.

“Aludra, stay with Martha.” Astraea said firmly, looking at her daughter. “We still don’t know what we’re up against.”

“Okay.” Aludra said, nodding in agreement.

Astraea looked at Martha and Aludra for a moment before turning and darting out of the dressing room, hurrying after her fiancée. Reaching the props room a few seconds later, she found the Doctor scavenging the room for materials that they could use to make a scanner.

Solomon entered the room and walked up to them, holding up a small Art Nouveau radio.

“How about this?” He asked, showing them the radio. “I found it backstage.”

“Perfect.” Astraea said, smiling brightly and taking the radio from the man. “We need the capacitors to make a DNA scanner.” She opened the back, taking the screwdriver from the Doctor and sonicking the wiring. “It’s pretty crude in design, but if we can get a chromosomal reading, we can at least find out where it’s from.”

"How about you, Doctor, Miss. Astraea? Where are you from?” Solomon asked, eyeing the couple as the Doctor took a small clear piece out of the radio and blew on it. “I've been all over; I've never heard anybody talk like the two of you. Just exactly who are you?"

“Oh, we’re just sort of passing by with the girls.” The Doctor said vaguely.

“I’m not a fool, Doctor.” Solomon said in a hard voice.

“No, you‘re not Solomon.” Astraea agreed.

She knew that any man that could go through what Solomon went through and still manage to hold on to some shred of sanity was incredibly strong, and by no means a fool.

“Sorry.” The Doctor said, glancing at the middle-aged human apologetically.

“And who are the girls to you?” Solomon asked. “Miss. Martha said that she was a hitcher while Miss. Aludra said that you were family.”

“Martha is someone we met a short time ago.” Astraea replied. “And Aludra is our daughter.”

Solomon looked at her, his expression implying that he didn’t believe her response about Aludra. Astraea didn’t blame him, especially since they looked like they were the same age.

Solomon sighed and walked to the manhole covering the sewer entrance. He looked at the lid, his posture hunched as though he was carrying a heavy weight.

“I was scared Doctor.” Solomon admitted quietly, guilt clear on his face. “I let them take Frank ‘cos… I was just so scared.”

“Solomon…” Astraea said softly, her gold-rimmed amethyst eyes filled with sympathy for the man.

“I gotta get back to Hooverville.” Solomon said before Astraea could say anything else. “With these creatures on the loose, we got to protect ourselves. Ain't no one else going to help us.”

“Good luck.” The Doctor and Astraea said in unison.

“I hope you both find what you’re looking for.” Solomon said. “For all our sakes.”

With that, he turned and walked out the door with the Doctor and Astraea watching him go.

~*~

With Aludra and Martha

Tallulah sat in front of her vanity, dressed in her ‘angel’ costume. Martha and Aludra sat on the stool behind her, watching the pretty star get ready for her next show.

“Laszlo…” Tallulah said dreamily, putting on her earrings. “He'd wait for me after the show. Walk me home like I was a lady.” She glanced at them through the mirror. “He'd leave a flower for me on my dressing table. Every day, just a single rose bud.”

“I’m sorry.” Aludra said sympathetically, getting to her feet and stepping towards Tallulah, wrapping her arms around the blonde in a gentle hug.

Aludra couldn’t even begin to imagine what she would have done if she were in Tallulah’s place. It had been hard enough when Astraea had disappeared for a year with the Doctor; but if Adam disappeared, she would’ve been devastated. Aludra knew that she wouldn’t be able to go on without him, just _travelling_ without him was difficult even though she was able to call him on her superphone. She also had the option of going home to him at any time she wanted, her parents completely understanding her feelings.

“Haven’t you reported him missing?” Martha asked, getting to her feet and stepping towards the two women.

“Sure.” Tallulah said, pulling away from Aludra and looking at Martha. “But he's just a stagehand. Who cares?” She shrugged helplessly. “The Management certainly don't.”

“Can’t you kick up a fuss or something?” Martha asked curiously, knowing that it was exactly what the stars in their own time would’ve done.

“Okay, so then they fire me.” Tallulah said dryly, rolling her eyes.

“But they’d listen to _you_.” Martha protested. “You’re one of the stars.”

“Oh, honey, I got one song in a back street revue and that's only because Heidi Chicane broke her ankle.” Tallulah said, smiling depreciatively. “Which had _nothing_ to do with me whatever anybody says. I can't afford to make a fuss.” She shook her head. “If I don't make this month's rent, then before you know it, I'm in Hooverville.”

“Okay, I get it.” Martha said, nodding.

“The Great Depression.” Aludra said softly. “It certainly is depressing.”

“Your heart might break, but the show goes on.” Tallulah said softly, her voice tinged with sadness. “Because if it stops, you starve.” She rose to her feet, looking at her guests. “Every night I have to go out there, sing, dance, keep going, hoping he's going to come back.”

By the time she finished speaking, Tallulah’s voice broke and the tears she was struggling to keep at bay slipped down her fair cheeks. Aludra and Martha sighed sympathetically, drawing the woman into a tight hug.

“I’m sorry.” Martha said, her heart aching for the poor woman’s suffering.

“Hey, you’re lucky, though.” Tallulah said with a smile, pulling back from the hug and wiping her tears without ruining her makeup. “You got yourself a forward-thinking guy Martha, with that hot potato in the sharp suit.”

“Oh, no no no no.” Martha said, shaking her head frantically while Aludra burst into peals of laughter. “He’s not… we’re not…. We’re not together!”

Martha couldn’t even begin to think about her and the Doctor together, the very thought disturbing her beyond imagination. The Time Lord was rapidly becoming a very dear friend, Astraea and Aludra as well, and she couldn’t imaging the Time Lord with anyone _but_ Astraea. The breath-taking gold-rimmed amethyst-eyed Time Lady with a lilting Welsh accent.

“Oh, I know.” Tallulah said, laughing at Martha’s expression. “I’m just pulling your leg. It’s obvious he and Astraea are together, especially with that rock she wears.” She sighed wistfully, a sad look in her eye. “He looks at her that way Laszlo looked at me… makes me miss him so much more...”

“There’s always hope.” Aludra said, trying to be optimistic for the distraught woman’s sake.

“I know.” Tallulah said, smiling sadly. “It’s the only thing that’s kept me going ‘cos…” she picked up a white rose bud from her dressing table and showed it to them. “Look. On my dressing table, everyday still.”

“You think it’s Laszlo?” Martha asked, taking the rose bud carefully.

“I don’t know.” Tallulah admitted. “If he’s still around, why’s he being all secret, like he doesn’t want me to see him?” She sighed sadly, looking at the rose for a moment before turning back to Aludra and Martha. “So, _do_ you have anyone?”

“Nope.” Martha said, shaking her head.

“Yes.” Aludra replied, a blush filling her cheeks and dreamy look entering her eyes.

“Oooh, who is he?” Tallulah asked, practically squealing at the blush that Aludra was sporting.

“His name is Adam Pierson and he’s a doctor.” Aludra replied.

“Guess falling in love with doctors runs in the family, huh Aludra?” Martha asked teasingly, nudging the blushing Welshwoman lightly.

“Yeah, I guess it does.” Aludra agreed, understanding the subtle reference.

The three women looked at each other before bursting out into peals of laughter, the room filling with the musical sound.

~*~

With the Doctor and Astraea

The Doctor and Astraea were in a hidden part of the theatre’s lighting gallery, the area not in use judging by the white fabric that covered the seats. The Time Lord was hooking up a spotlight while Astraea connected the blob to the scanner that they had put together.

“That’s it.” The Doctor said, switching on the light while Astraea powered up the scanner with the screwdriver. “We just need to heat you up.”

The Doctor sat beside Astraea, pulling out his glasses and putting them on. Together, they began examining the ‘jellyfish’.

As they worked, they could hear ‘Happy Days Are Here Again’ playing through the theatre, the crowd below chattering amongst themselves as they waited for the show to start.

~*~

With Aludra and Martha

Tallulah ran out of the dressing room, a bright smile on her face.

“Girls, it’s show time!” She called cheerfully.

“Seeing her, all cheerful and smiling, you wouldn’t think that she’s worried for her boyfriend.” Martha commented quietly to Aludra, both girls leaning against opposite sides of the dressing room door frame.

“Like she said, ‘your heart may break, but the show goes on’.” Aludra responded, sighing sympathetically. “It’s no different than home.” She looked at Martha for a second before turning back to the showgirls, watching the women dressed in red make their way up the stairs. “No matter what happens, we ‘carry on’.”

Martha nodded, understanding what Aludra meant. Even though her family was middle-class, they were still well off in terms of wealth. As such, Francine had taught her children how to behave and act among Britain’s social circles, how to network and most especially, how to keep private matters _private_. Not that they had much of it with Clive’s affair with Annalise, the blonde woman drawn to his bank account.

“Come on, honey, take a look.” Tallulah said, turning to face her new friends and drawing them out of their conversation. “Either of you ever been on stage before?”

“Oh, a little bit.” Martha replied, nodding. “You know, Shakespeare.”

“All the time in school.” Aludra replied, nodding as well. “I did a little of everything, but I mostly enjoyed Shakespeare.”

“How dull is that?” Tallulah said incredulously. “Come and see a real show!”

She grabbed both their hands and tugged them towards the stairs. Martha and Aludra laughed lightly and let the blonde pull them along.

~*~

With the Doctor and Astraea

The Doctor frowned, running his finger over the blob.

“This is artificial!” He said, astonished.

“What?” Astraea asked in surprise, reaching out and twisting a small dial on the scanner.

They both cocked their heads to the side, listening to the resulting whine from the scanner.

 _“Ladies and gentlemen.”_ The MC announced from the stage. _“The Laurenzi…”_

“They genetically engineered this.” Astraea said, an impressed look on her face.

“Whoever this is, oh, you’re clever.” The Doctor muttered, equally impressed.

~*~

With Aludra and Martha

_“Dancing devils, with Heaven and Hell!”_ The MC finished.

The curtain opened to reveal the backup dancers in two lines, dressed in their devil red sequined dresses with pointed tails and devil horns. As the music began to play, they parted their red fans to reveal Tallulah, wearing her silvery white dress with white wings and silver halo.

The audience cheered and whistled as the blonde sashayed to the front of the stage, a sultry look on her face.

Glancing to the side where Martha and Aludra were watching from the wings, Tallulah shot them a quick wink before turning back to the audience and starting to sing. Her voice echoed around the theatre, filled with passion and emotion.

_"You lured me in with your cold grey eyes._

_Your simple smile, your bewitching lies._

_One and one and one is three._

_My bad, bad angel, the Devil and me."_

Martha and Aludra swayed and clapped in time to the music, both sporting small smiles on their faces. Aludra remembered all the times she and Adam used to dance together, on the roof of the Estate or at their home in Hampstead, also remembering her past life childhood where she would see her parents dance together all the time.

_"You put the devil in me. You put the devil in me. You put the devil in me._

_My bad, bad angel, you put the Devil in me."_

Tallulah winked cheekily at the crowd before stepping back and rejoining her dancers, fitting seamlessly into the dance sequence.

Aludra tensed, catching sight of something in the opposite wings across the stage. Martha, noticing the Welshwoman’s tense posture, followed her gaze and bit back a swear.

There, in the opposite wing across the stage was a pig-man; he was watching Tallulah. He looked slightly different from the ones they had encountered in the sewers.

“We have to help Tallulah.” Martha hissed in alarm.

Aludra nodded in agreement and the two women darted out onto the stage, trying to sneak across behind the dancers.

Unfortunately, they weren’t doing a very good job, disrupting the dancers despite their best attempts to continue with the show.

“What are you doing?” Myrna hissed when they hid behind her, trying to continue with her dance.

“Ignore us, just carry on with your dance.” Aludra hissed, darting behind Lois who was next to Myrna.

Martha followed after Aludra but accidentally tugged on Lois’ devil tail in the process, sending the three of them tumbling to the ground.

“What’re you doing?” Tallulah asked incredulously as Martha tried to get back on her feet.

“You’re on my tail.” Lois hissed as she struggled back onto her feet. “Get off my tail.”

“Sorry.” Aludra said apologetically, getting to her feet.

~*~

With the Doctor and Astraea

The Doctor listened to the jellyfish with his stethoscope, a small frown marring his face.

“Fundamental DNA type 467-989.” He muttered, pulling the stethoscope off and pocketing it.

“Wait, 989.” Astraea repeated, her eyes going wide in alarm. “That means the planet of origin is… Skaro.”

“Aludra!” They cried in unison.

They shot to their feet and ran out of the gallery, their hearts racing frantically.

~*~

With Aludra and Martha

Aludra glanced at the wings and saw the pig-man still there, watching the chaos occurring on stage. The audience, unaware that it wasn’t planned, laughed in enjoyment.

“Get off the stage!” Tallulah hissed. “You’re spoiling it!”

“Look!” Aludra said, pointing to the wings. “Over there!”

Tallulah looked in the direction Aludra was pointing and noticed the pig-man watching her. She screamed, causing the dancers to catch sight of the pig-man and start screaming as well, dance completely forgotten. At the chaos, the pig-man whirled around and ran off.

“Hey!” Martha yelled, running after the pig-man.

“Martha!” Aludra yelled, running after her.

The two women followed the pig-man through the wings and into the hallway behind the stage. The pig-man paused and glanced at them.

For that brief second, Aludra got a clearer look at the pig-man and saw that he was physically different from the ones they had encountered in the sewer. This one had dark hair and his eyes didn’t seem quite so blood-thirsty and savage.

The pig-man turned and began running again, heading towards the props room.

“Wait!” Martha called pleadingly to his back.

“We know you’re different from the others!” Aludra called as they ran after him. “Just wait, please!”

A ‘Clang!’ echoed from the props room just as they entered it. Martha panted, looking around the room.

“He’s gone.” Aludra said, shaking her head. She turned to her friend. “We should let Nana and Ada know what we found.”

“Yeah.” Martha agreed, nodding.

The two women turned to the door just as it slammed shut.

~*~

With the Doctor and Astraea

The Doctor and Astraea ran to the back of the stage where the showgirls were all huddled together, shaking after they witnessed the ‘monster’ watching them.

“Where are they?” Astraea asked as they reached the glamorously dressed girls. “Where are Martha and Aludra?”

“Tallulah, where are the girls?” The Doctor asked frantically, grabbing the blonde’s shoulders tightly.

“I don’t know.” Tallulah replied with a slight gasp at the tight grip the man had on her shoulders. “They ran off the stage.”

“Did you see which direction they went?” Astraea asked, trying to remain calm for the sake of her daughter and her friend.

Before anyone could answer, a terrified scream echoed through the hall followed by an angry voice shouting, “Let go of me!”

“That was Aludra!” Astraea said.

She and the Doctor ran down the hall in the direction of the screams, hearts racing at the sound of their daughter’s voice. Tallulah followed behind them, managing to keep up despite her dancing shoes.

The couple ran to the prop room and the Doctor yanked the door open before they both ran inside.

“Aludra!” The Doctor yelled, looking around. “Martha!”

“ _Annwyll_.” Astraea called softly, pointing to the sewer entrance they had climbed through only a short while earlier.

The lid was crooked, not properly closed; it had been opened recently.

Tallulah ran up to them, panting. The Doctor grabbed his coat from where he had stashed it earlier while Astraea opened the sewer lid entirely.

“Uh… where are you going?” She asked nervously, seeing Astraea peer down into the dark tunnel before climbing down the ladder.

“They’ve taken them.” The Doctor growled, slipping on his coat.

“ _Who’s_ taken them?” Tallulah asked in confusion. “What are you doing?” The Doctor didn’t reply, instead following after his fiancée into the tunnel below. “I said, what the hell are you _doing_?!”

The Doctor reached the bottom and pulled a flashlight out of his pocket, shining it in front of him though light still came in from the grating above them.

Noticing something out of the corner of her eye, Astraea turned towards the ladder and saw Tallulah climbing down, a dark blue dressing gown covering her stage clothes.

“Oh, no.” Astraea said firmly, looking at the carefully descending blonde and drawing the Doctor’s attention to her as well. “You are _not_ coming with us.”

“Tell me what’s going on.” Tallulah said, _demanded_ , firmly, pausing in her descent to look at the couple.

“There’s nothing you can do.” The Doctor said. “Go back.”

“Look.” Tallulah said, resuming her descent. “Whoever’s taken the girls; they could’ve taken Laszlo, couldn’t they?”

“Tallulah, you’re not safe down here.” The Doctor said gravely.

“Then that’s my problem.” Tallulah said, getting off the ladder and staring at the couple determinedly. “Come on. Which way?”

She didn’t wait for a response before turning and walking down one of the tunnels.

“This way, Tallulah.” Astraea called, walking down the tunnel they had descended into, her hand interlocked with the Doctor’s while holding her saree up with the other.

Tallulah followed them, her arms wrapped around her body as she held her dressing gown closed in an effort to ward off the damp chill.

“She reminds me of you.” The Doctor muttered quietly, looking at Astraea.

“She’s come as close as she ever has to finding out what happened to her love, she isn’t going to give up just because it’s dangerous.” Astraea said just as quietly. She gave him a knowing look. “How far have we gone for each other? How far have Aludra and Adam gone for each other in the few short years they’ve known each other?”

The Doctor nodded in agreement, knowing what she meant.

~*~

With Aludra and Martha

Martha and Aludra were dragged through the tunnels, a pair of pig-men holding them firmly by the arms.

“No! Let me go!” Martha screamed, struggling against the hold and kicking wildly.

The struggling didn’t have much effect on the pig-men, something the two women had already discovered when they had first been taken several minutes earlier, but that didn’t stop the med-student from trying to break free.

Aludra meanwhile was looking at her surroundings and making a mental note of the route they had taken. She was far more used to being kidnapped than Martha and as a result, was much _calmer_ than the London-born medical student was.

As it was, the Welshwoman’s calm demeanor was keeping Martha from panicking more than she already was.

“Let me go!” Martha screamed again, struggling.

The pig-men just ignored her and shoved her against the wall, Aludra being shoved a second later. The Welshwoman shot them a dark glare, rubbing her arms where the pig-men had been gripping tightly.

Just then, a line of people was led past them by another group of pig-men.

“How many of them are there?” Aludra asked softly, counting at least a dozen pig-men that she could see.

Before Martha could respond, a familiar voice called out to them.

“Martha! Aludra!”

Turning to the call, the two women smiled brightly in relief.

“Frank!” They both said in relieved unison, darting towards the teen and hugging him tightly.

“Thank Gods you’re okay.” Aludra said, smiling brightly and letting go of him.

“We thought we’d lost you.” Martha said to explain their reaction and relief at seeing him.

Frank nodded in understanding just as a pig-man pushed them forwards.

“All right!” Aludra snapped as they began moving along with the line. “We’re moving!”

“Where are they taking us?” Frank asked.

“I don’t know.” Aludra admitted, reaching out and taking Frank’s hand while Martha took the other. “But we can use this chance to find out what in Arawn’s name is going on.”

Martha and Frank glanced at each other before nodding in understanding.

~*~

With the Doctor and Astraea

The Doctor, Astraea and Tallulah walked through the tunnels, the couple cautious while the showgirl chattered on behind them.

“When you say ‘ _they’ve_ taken them’, who’s ‘they’, exactly?” Tallulah asked as they ducked beneath a raised grate. “And who are you two anyway? I never asked.”

“Shh.” The Doctor whispered.

“Okay, okay.” Tallulah said dismissively, rolling her eyes and not lowering her voice.

“Shh, shh, shh!” Astraea hissed, catching sight of a vague shadow along the wall in front of them.

A shadow that, despite being vague, was distinctly familiar to the Doctor and Astraea. A shadow that was slowly approaching their current location.

“I mean, you’re handsome and all-” Tallulah continued before letting out a quiet yelp when the Doctor covered her mouth with his hand.

He dragged her backwards into a nearby service alcove, Astraea tucked behind him. The three of them watched with wide eyes, the two Time Lords’ hearts racing as the shadowy figure came into view.

A Dalek.

And not just any Dalek, but one of the Cult of Skaro. Dalek Caan.

It glided past them, the trio absolutely silent until it disappeared out of sight once more.

“No, no, no, no, no.” The Doctor hissed, shaking his head angrily and letting go of Tallulah. He stepped out of the alcove and looked in the direction Dalek Caan had gone in. “They survived. They always survive, while we lose everything.”

“Aludra…” Astraea said in realization, her eyes going wide in fear. “She’s down here!”

Just as the Daleks would recognize the Doctor and Astraea, they would certainly recognize Aludra after their encounter at Torchwood. Especially if the rest of the Cult of Skaro was present, the only four Daleks left in existence.

“That metal thing?” Tallulah asked, becoming nervous at the couple’s reaction. “What was it?”

“It’s called Dalek.” The Doctor said, glaring darkly in the direction Dalek Caan had gone. His voice was dripping with hate for the creatures that took everything from him, even his wife and children at one point.

“It’s not just metal.” Astraea added, her voice just as hateful as her fiancé’s. “It’s alive.”

“You’re kidding me!” Tallulah said, laughing weakly.

“Do we _look_ like we’re kidding?!” The Doctor snapped angrily, turning his dark glare on her. Tallulah instantly fell silent, her smile being wiped off her face at the dark fury that swirled in the soulful brown eyes. “Inside that shell is a creature born to hate, whose only thought is to destroy everything and everyone that isn’t a Dalek too.”

“It won’t stop until it’s killed every human being alive.” Astraea added, her voice tinged with anger and deep-wrenching sorrow.

“But… if it's not a human being, that kind of implies… it's from outer space.” Tallulah said, disbelieving and incredulous. Her statement was received with identical pointed looks. “Yet again, that's a ‘no’ with the kidding. Ay.” She sighed and looked back in the direction the Dalek had gone. “Well, what's it doing here? In New York?”

“I don’t know.” Astraea said darkly, shaking her head. “But right now, our daughter is trapped with them, and if there’s one thing the Daleks want to kill more than humans, it’s us.”

The Doctor grabbed Tallulah’s arm and began tugging her down the tunnel at a brisk pace, looking for a ladder. Astraea was on his other side, keeping up with ease while the showgirl stumbled slightly every few steps.

“Every second you’re down here, you’re in danger too.” He said, his hold on Tallulah the only thing keeping her from falling completely to the ground. “I’m taking you back right now.”

He knew that despite his desire to save his daughter, he had to send Tallulah to safety because Aludra would never forgive either of them if they let anything happen to her friend while they were trying to rescue her.

They turned a corner and stopped short, seeing a pig-man coming towards them from the opposite direction. Tallulah screamed and the pig-man cowered back in fright, trying to hide himself in the corner of a protruding pillar.

“Where are Martha and Aludra?” The Doctor asked angrily, shining his torch on the pig-man and taking several steps forward. “What have you done with them?”

“What have you done with Martha and Aludra?” Astraea asked, moving forward and stopping beside her fiancé.

“I didn’t take them!” The pig-man said defensively.

The Doctor and Astraea exchanged stunned looks, surprised that the pig-man in front of them was capable of speech. The ones they had encountered several hours earlier had only managed grunting and squealing, sounds pigs made, not human speech.

“Can you remember your name?” The Doctor asked curiously.

Astraea peered at him through the darkness of the tunnel, lit only by the Doctor’s torch and the grate above them. She noticed the other differences between the pig-man in front of them and the ones they had previously encountered. This one had dark hair and his gait seemed more human-like than the hunched shuffling of the others.

“Don’t… look at me.” The pig-man said, pressing himself face-first against the wall.

“Do you know where they are?” Tallulah asked, her tone hesitant as she took a step forward.

“Stay back!” The pig-man cried, shying further away. Tallulah froze where she was. “Don’t look at me!”

“What happened to you?” Astraea asked gently, her gaze softening slightly at the torment that poured off the pig-man in waves.

“They made me a monster.” The pig-man replied sadly, looking at the Welsh Time Lady over his shoulder.

“Who did?” The Doctor asked, his own tone marginally softer as well.

“The Masters.”

“The Daleks.” The Doctor corrected, his jaw clenching and his tone once again becoming hard at the mention of his greatest enemies. “Why?”

“They needed slaves.” The pig-man replied, sighing heavily. “They needed slaves to steal more people. So they created us. Part animal, part human.” He continued to face the corner, speaking to the couple over his shoulder. “I escaped before they got my mind… but, it was still too late.”

“Do you know what happened to Martha and Aludra?” Astraea asked gently.

“They took them." The pig-man replied, his gaze filled with guilt and regret. “It’s my fault, the girls were following me.”

“Where you in the theatre?” Tallulah asked in shock.

“I never…” The pig-man started before trailing off. He was silent for a second before he said quietly, “Yes.”

“Why?” Tallulah asked, confused and concerned. “Why were you there?”

“I never wanted you to see me like this.” The pig-man said disparagingly.

“Why me?” Tallulah asked, shaking her head in confusion. She took several slow steps forward, her gaze firmly on the pig-man. “What I gotta do with this? Were you following me? Is that why you were there?”

The pig-man turned around and looked at Tallulah, his features still mostly concealed by the shadows.

“Yes.” The pig-man admitted quietly.

Tallulah looked at him in shock, her large grey eyes widened even further. Something about the pig-man’s voice was familiar; something about _him_ was familiar.

“Who are you?” Tallulah asked quietly.

“I was lonely.” The pig-man said as Tallulah took a step forward.

“Who are you?” Tallulah repeated as she took another step forward, her tone becoming pleading.

“I needed to see you.” The pig-man said, watching the pretty blonde get closer to him with each step.

“Who… are you?” Tallulah asked, half-pleading and half-demanding. Her large eyes shone with unshed tears, only a step away from the pig-man.

“I’m sorry.” The pig-man said, turning from her.

“No, wait.” Tallulah cried, reaching out and grabbing his arm. “Let me look at you.” She slowly turned him around to face her, the pig-man unresisting her grip. She gently nudged him into the streams of light that shone through the grate above them. “Laszlo? My Laszlo?” He nodded slowly and she gasped, tears filling her eyes. The Doctor and Astraea exchanged looks, both surprised at the revelation of who the pig-man was. “What have they done to you?”

“I’m sorry.” The pig-man, Laszlo, whispered sadly. “I’m so sorry…”

“Laszlo.” The Doctor said gently, stepping towards them. “Can you show us where they are?”

Despite how much he wanted for Laszlo and Tallulah to have their moment, understanding that they needed it, he was becoming more and more restless the longer they didn’t find Aludra. Glancing at Astraea, he could see that she was feeling the same way. Especially now, knowing that the Daleks were present.

Laszlo turned and looked at the Doctor and Astraea, his eyes haunted at the memories of what he had been through and what he had to do.

“They’ll _kill_ you.” He said, shaking his head.

“If we don’t stop them, they’ll kill _everyone_.” Astraea said gently. "Including our daughter."

Laszlo sighed and glanced at Tallulah. She gave him a watery smile and he turned back to the strange, beautiful couple, nodding in understanding.

“Follow me.” Laszlo said, turning and walking down the tunnel.

The Doctor and Astraea interlocked their fingers and followed after him, Tallulah following a moment later.

~*~

With Martha and Aludra

Martha, Frank, Aludra and the other prisoners were standing by a section of the tunnel that resembled a cave-like chamber. The pig-men that had escorted them were grunting quietly, occasionally shoving anyone that moved away from the wall.

“What are they keeping us here for?” Frank asked in a whisper.

“I don’t know.” Martha said shaking her head before adding bitterly, “I’ve got the nasty feeling that we’re being kept in the larder.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Aludra saw the Doctor and Astraea peeking out from a side-tunnel. Beside them was Tallulah and the pig-man that she and Martha had seen in the theatre. She let out a quiet sigh of relief at the confirmation that her parents were safe.

Her attention was drawn back to the pig-men when they suddenly began grunting and squealing urgently, shying away from the entrance of the tunnel.

“What are they doing?” Frank asked aloud, tensing. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

 _“Silence. Silence.”_ A voice ordered.

“No.” Aludra breathed, her eyes going wide and terror filling her at the sound of the voice.

A small part of her that hadn’t given in to terror realized that she needed to do something to keep herself from being recognized. So, with almost mechanical movements, she reached up and untied the ribbon holding her hair back, mussing up the thick, silken locks so they fell into her face.

Martha and Frank watched in confusion as Aludra ran her hand over the tunnel wall, collecting some of the dirt and grime that clung to the stone. She applied it to her cheeks and forehead, further obscuring her features.

Aludra lowered her hands from her face, her entire frame trembling minutely as she watched a Dalek she recognized as Dalek Thay glide into view.

Seeing them this time was different from when she had last encountered them, at Torchwood. Back then, she hadn’t had her memories, mostly feelings and vague recollections of her past life. Now, even though she still didn’t have all her memories, and was unlikely to due to how young she had been when she died, she vividly remembered being killed by a Dalek. Above all else, that alone was enough to terrify her more than anything else was.

“What the hell is that?” Martha asked quietly, looking at the metal creature that looked a lot like a cross between a big pepper pot and a dustbin.

Martha and Frank turned to look at Aludra, the Welshwoman often holding most of the answers, and were shocked to see her eyes wide with absolute terror. She was gripping Frank’s hand so tightly; the young man was slowly losing all feeling in the limb.

That small part of her that had managed to hold onto her sanity fled and all that Aludra could feel was terror, her blood running ice cold.

Martha could only stare at the Welshwoman in shock. The witty Welshwoman that had snarked her way through the encounters with space-rhino-police and cat nuns and witches was stiff as a board and trembling in unrivalled terror. Aludra’s expression was one that was akin to a small child who wanted nothing more than to hide behind the sofa with her eyes screwed shut and hands clamped over her ears. Since she couldn’t carry out that desire, the Welshwoman had gone with the next best thing – completely shutting herself down.

 _“You will form a line.”_ Dalek Thay ordered. _“Move. Move.”_

The pig-men began shuffling everyone into a line, the panicked humans not making things any easier.

“Just do what it says, everyone, okay?” Martha called out, reaching out with her free hand to take hold of Aludra’s stiff one. “Just obey.”

As soon as Martha took her hand, Aludra subconsciously gripped it just as tightly as she was Frank’s hand.

 _“The female is wise.”_ Dalek Thay said, gliding in front of them and looking at the mass of panicked humans. _“Obey.”_

 _“Report.”_ Another Dalek said, gliding into view. It was Dalek Jast.

Aludra shuddered, realizing that the price that had been paid to stop the Daleks had been for naught. Again.

 _“These are strong specimens.”_ Dalek Thay replied. _“They will help the Dalek cause.”_

“Dalek?” Martha repeated with a whisper, recognizing the name from when the Doctor and Astraea had told her and Aludra about their home. She glanced at Aludra and, taking note of the terror with the new knowledge in mind, realized that the Welshwoman remembered at least a little of her past encounters with the creatures.

 _“What is the status of the Final Experiment?”_ Dalek Thay asked.

 _“The Dalekanium is in place.”_ Dalek Jast replied. _“The energy conductor is now complete.”_

 _“Then I will extract prisoners for selection.”_ Dalek Thay said. A pig-man stepped forward and dragged a middle-aged black man front. _“Intelligence scan, initiate.”_ The Dalek placed its sucker onto the man’s face. _“Reading brain waves. Low intelligence.”_

“You calling me stupid?!” The man asked blustering, momentarily side-tracked by the insult.

 _“Silence!”_ Dalek Thay ordered. _“This one will become a Pig Slave. Next.”_

“No, let go of me!” The man shouted, struggling as he was dragged away by a pair of pig-men, _Pig Slaves_. “I’m not becoming one of them! No! No!”

 _“Intelligence scan, initiate.”_ Dalek Thay said, putting its sucker on the next person’s face.

~*~

With the Doctor and Astraea

In the corner, Tallulah, Astraea and the Doctor peeked out from around the corner, Laszlo hiding against the wall.

“They're divided into two groups.” Laszlo explained, sighing. “High Intelligence and Low Intelligence. The Low Intelligence are taken to become Pig Slaves like me.”

“Well, that’s not fair.” Tallulah said, affronted, her voice rising slightly.

“Shhh.” The Doctor and Astraea hissed in unison.

“You’re the smartest guy I ever dated.” Tallulah continued in a whisper, looking at Laszlo with pure love shining in her eyes.

“What about the others?” Astraea asked quietly. “The ones deemed ‘High Intelligence’.”

“They’re taken to the laboratory.” Laszlo replied.

“But why?” The Doctor asked, frowning in confusion.

“What for?” Astraea wondered, her head cocked to the side.

“I don’t know.” Laszlo admitted. “The masters only call it the Final… Experiment.”

They looked back around the corner, watching as Dalek Thay scanned Frank. The runaway, Martha and Aludra were being held by the Pig Slaves, though the two girls still had their hands tightly interlocked.

 _“Superior intelligence.”_ Dalek Thay announced before turning to Martha and scanning her. _“Intelligence scan, initiate. Superior intelligence_ .” It turned to Aludra and began scanning her, the Doctor and Astraea holding their breaths. It didn’t recognize her because of the dirt on her face as well as the mussed hair. _“Intelligence scan, initiate. Superior intelligence. These will become part of the Final Experiment.”_

The Doctor and Astraea let out small breaths. Neither were sure if they were relieved that Aludra hadn’t been recognized and was just grouped in with the humans or if they were terrified that their daughter was going to be taken from them by Daleks, _again_.

“You can’t just experiment on people!” Martha shouted, horrified at the realization of what the Daleks were planning to do with those deemed ‘Superior Intelligence’. She struggled against the Pig Slave holding her, though Aludra still managed to keep hold of her hand. “It’s insane! It’s inhuman!”

 _“We are not human.”_ Dalek Jast told her before turning to address the entire group. _“Prisoners of High Intelligence will be taken to the transgenic laboratory.”_

Dalek Jast began gliding down the tunnel.

“Look out, they’re moving.” The Doctor hissed.

He and Astraea pulled back, pressing themselves flat against the wall before peeking out around the corner. Laszlo grabbed Tallulah and began pulling her down the tunnel.

“Doctor! Astraea!” Laszlo called in a whisper, turning to see that he couple hadn’t moved. “Quickly!”

“We’re not coming.” The Doctor called back in an equal whisper, glancing at them.

“We have an idea.” Astraea said, rummaging through her purse. “You two go.”

“Laszlo, come on.” Tallulah said, tugging his arm.

“Can you remember the way?” Laszlo asked her.

“Yeah, I think so.” She replied, nodding.

“Then go.” Laszlo said, loosening his arm from her hold. “Please.”

“But Laszlo, you gotta come with me.” Tallulah said, unwilling to let her beloved go after only just finding him again.

“Where would I go?” Laszlo asked her despairingly. She looked at him, unable to answer. “Tallulah, I'm begging you. Save yourself. Just run.” Tallulah shook her head, her eyes wide with unshed tears. “Just go.” Tallulah took a step backward, Laszlo gently pushing her away from him. “Go.”

Laszlo watched Tallulah until she was out of sight before turning and hurrying back towards the Doctor and Astraea. They glanced at him briefly before turning back to peek out around the corner, the Welsh Time Lady wearing a small amethyst purple veil that covered the bottom of her face.

Before he could ask what the veil was for, the Daleks passed by their hiding spot with the Pig Slaves and the prisoners. The Doctor and Astraea darted out and mixed in with the prisoners, falling in line between Aludra and Frank while Laszlo fell into step with the other Pig Slave escorts.

“Just keep walking.” Astraea said softly to Aludra and Martha, the med-student walking in front of the Weshwoman.

Aludra and Martha glanced at the Doctor and Astraea, letting out relieved sighs.

“I’m so glad to see you.” Martha breathed in relief, noticing the veil the Time Lady was wearing.

“Me, too.” Aludra said, smiling shakily.

“Yeah, well, you can hug us later.” The Doctor quipped. “You too, Frank, if you want.”

“But from you, Aludra, your father and I _expect_ a hug.” Astraea said to Aludra, her smile barely visible through the veil.

“Anytime.” Aludra replied, smiling back and feeling a sense of relief now that her parents were with them. She grinned cheekily, looking at the Doctor as she asked, “And what do you expect from Nana?”

“Oh, a kiss, definitely.” The Doctor said, winking at Astraea and making her blush brightly, a small amount of red visible above the veil.

“Are you all right, though?” Astraea asked Aludra, peering closely at her and noticing the faint signs of panic and terror in her large sapphire eyes. The younger woman was also still trembling slightly, though not as much as she had been when Dalek Thay had first glided into view.

“Not really.” Aludra admitted honesty. “But we have more important things to worry about.”

The Doctor and Astraea both nodded, understanding that Aludra wanted to focus on something other than her fear. They knew that even though Aludra was very capable of holding her own and being able to stay calm while the world went to hell around her, she still had her limits, just as they did. Currently, those limits involved the Daleks, the same Daleks that had inadvertently caused Johnny’s death as well as resulted in Rose, Jackie, Rajesh and Mickey being trapped on Pete’s World.

The prisoners were herded into a large rectangular cavern with harsh electric lighting and wires everywhere. At the far end, Dalek Sec was juddering in place, smoke wafting out from every seam in its casing while Dalek Caan kept vigil. Dalek Jast joined them once the group of prisoners had been brought into the laboratory.

 _“Report.”_ Dalek Thay said, gliding towards Dalek Caan and Dalek Jast.

The Doctor, Astraea and Aludra watched with dark expressions, barely managing to contain their hatred for the creatures that had taken everything from them.

 _“Dalek Sec is in the final stage of evolution.”_ Dalek Caan replied.

 _“Scan him.”_ Dalek Jast ordered. _“Prepare him for birth.”_

“Evolution?” The Doctor repeated quietly, frowning in confusion.

“What’s wrong with old Charlie boy over there?” Martha asked quietly, looking towards the still juddering Dalek Sec.

“Ask them.” Astraea prompted quietly.

“What, me?” Martha asked, looking at her with wide eyes. “Don’t be daft.”

“Well, the three of us don’t exactly want to be noticed.” The Doctor pointed out, gesturing to himself, Astraea and Aludra.

“Martha, you need to ask them what’s going on.” Aludra said quietly. “We’ve been lucky so far that they hadn’t recognized me when they were doing the scans. They saw you as wise, earlier in the tunnel, remember?” At the reminder, Martha nodded. “You may be the only one they answer, aside from Ada, Nana and myself.”

“Make it sound like an order.” Astraea added. “They’re programmed to obey orders, they may just obey you.”

Martha took a shaky breath and stepped out into the middle of the room, leaving herself completely exposed to the Daleks.

“Daleks, I demand to be told.” She said firmly, trying to calm her racing heart as the Daleks turned to her. Thinking of her family who would cease to exist if they didn’t stop the Daleks from carrying out whatever their plan was, she continued, “What is this Final Experiment? Report!”

 _“You will bear witness.”_ Dalek Caan replied.

“To what?” Martha asked, managing to keep from frowning in confusion.

 _"This is the dawn of a new age."_ Dalek Caan declared, its eyestalk swiveling around to look at the occupants of the laboratory.

"What does that mean?" Martha asked, unable to keep the confusion off her face nor out of her voice.

 _"We are the only four Daleks in existence, so the species must evolve; a life outside the shell.”_ Dalek Caan revealed. _“The Children of Skaro must walk again."_

Dalek Caan glided backwards and swiveled around to face Dalek Sec, the other Daleks doing the same. Everyone watched in horror as the Black Dalek’s shell stopped smoking and powered down, the metal plates shifting seamlessly apart. A crouching figure, bent within the confines of the casing, unfurled itself with some difficulty and stood upright while the casing closed back up.

“What is it?” Martha asked, voicing the question that was on everyone’s minds.

The figure, a biped dressed in Mr. Diagoras’ suit, had web-like hands with talons for nails, a scalloped head with brain-like patterns and a face with three stiffly writhing tentacles on either side; a biped with no nose and a single eye in the middle of the forehead, much like a Cyclops would have.

“I… am… a… Human-Dalek.” The biped, Dalek Sec, replied with Mr. Diagoras’ accent. “I am… your future.”

The Doctor, Astraea and Aludra turned stone-faced at the response, unnoticed by anyone.

_Links:_

_*Astraea saree (amethyst purple) -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/508625351640798296/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/508625351640798296/)

 _*Astraea earrings (amethyst purple with a white diamond in the middle) -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879481370983/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879481370983/)

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 _*Aludra dress (sapphire blue with light pink lining and bow), hair in a half pony with a pink ribbon and sapphire earrings studs -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/561401909772254787/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/561401909772254787/)

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	6. Evolution of the Daleks

**Evolution of the Daleks**

_“These humans… will become like me.”_ Dalek Sec decreed, gesturing to the group of horrified prisoners. The Doctor and Astraea quietly ducked away from the group, behind some machinery, unnoticed by anyone except Aludra. _“Prepare them for hybridization.”_

The Pig Slaves grabbed several of the prisoners, hauling them towards the centre of the room while each person struggled against the tight grip, knowing what awaited them.

“Leave me alone!” Martha yelled when she was grabbed. “Don’t you dare!”

“Let go of me!” Aludra hissed, struggling against the hold.

Suddenly, in the midst of the confusion and yelling, the tinny strains of ‘Happy Days are Here Again’ began to echo around the cavern. Everyone - the Pig Slaves, the Daleks and the humans - looked around, wondering what was going on while Aludra hid a smirk behind her hair. She had realized what was going on the moment she heard the first strains of music.

 _“What is that sound?”_ Dalek Sec demanded, looking around.

“Ah, well, now, that would be us.” The Doctor said cheerfully as he and Astraea appeared from behind a piece of equipment, only Aludra noticing the tenseness in his and Astraea’s shoulders; Astraea had removed her veil, allowing her features to be seen. The Time Lord held a small Bunsen burner radio in his hands that was playing the music, which he placed on a nearby table. “Hello! Surprise! Boo! Etcetera.”

 _“Doctor. Bad Wolf.”_ Dalek Sec hissed, glaring at the couple.

 _“The enemies of the Daleks!”_ Dalek Jast cried.

 _“Exterminate!”_ Dalek Thay cried, aiming its laser at the couple.

 _“Wait!”_ Dalek Sec ordered, throwing his hands out to keep the Daleks at bay.

Their eyestalks twitched, aimed firmly on the Doctor and Astraea along with their lasers, but staying where they were.

“Well, then.” The Doctor said, he and Astraea advancing towards Dalek Sec while still keeping an eye on the other three Daleks “A new form of Dalek.”

“Fascinating.” Astraea remarked, peering up at Dalek Sec. “And very clever.”

Aludra absently thought that Astraea sounded a lot like she did when admiring a science experiment David had once done, not long before the Doctor first came into their lives.

 _“The Cult of Skaro escaped your slaughter.”_ Dalek Sec hissed, drawing Aludra out of her thoughts.

“How did you end up in 1930?” Astraea asked.

 _“Emergency Temporal Shift.”_ Dalek Sec replied.

“Oh, that must’ve roasted up your power cells, huh?” The Doctor remarked with a bitter chuckle, tugging his ear. “Time was, four Daleks could have conquered the world!” He paced about, looking smug at the trouble he managed to case his greatest enemies, all the while appraising them. “But instead, you’re skulking away, hidden in the dark, experimenting.” He turned around, looking back at Dalek Sec. “All of which results in you.”

 _“I am Dalek in human form.”_ Dalek Sec said, almost defensively.

“But what does it _feel_ like?” Astraea asked.

“You can talk to us, Dalek Sec.” The Doctor said encouragingly, putting his arm around Astraea’s shoulders and holding her close. “It is Dalek Sec, isn’t it, that’s your name?”

“You have a name and a mind of your own.” Astraea said. “Tell us what you’re thinking right now.”

 _“I… feel… humanity.”_ Dalek Sec said haltingly, turning away from the couple and looking at the wall.

“Good, that’s good.” The Doctor said, nodding encouragingly.

 _“I feel… everything… we wanted from mankind.”_ Dalek Sec continued. _“Which is ambition…”_ He turned back to face the couple, continuing, _“Hatred, aggression and war. Such a genius for war…”_

“That’s _not_ what humanity means.” Aludra said, stepping forward and standing beside her father. Her hair was still open, tumbling down her back in curls, but she had wiped away the dirt that had concealed her features.

 _“Aludra.”_ Dalek Sec hissed, turning to look at her.

“Hi.” Aludra said cheerfully, waving before becoming serious. “Dalek Sec, you misunderstand what humanity means.” She shook her head. “What humans are, deep in their heart. They’re strong-willed, determined, kind, loving, protective. Yes, they can be frail and they can be weak. They sometimes resort to violence and war when there are other options, but when they see the error they made, they try to fix their mistakes.”

 _“I think it is.”_ Dalek Sec argued. _“At their heart, this species is so very… Dalek.”_

“All right, so what have you achieved then, with this ‘Final Experiment’, eh?” The Doctor asked, turning around to look at the other three Daleks. “Nothing! Because I can show you what you're missing with this thing.” He pointed to the radio he had set aside earlier, patting it lightly. “A simple little radio.”

 _“What is the purpose of that device?”_ Dalek Caan asked.

“Well, exactly.” The Doctor said waspishly, spinning around to face the Daleks once more. “It plays music. What’s the point of that? Oh, with music, you can dance to it.”

“Sing to it.” Astraea added, smiling softly.

“Fall in love to it.” Aludra added dreamily, wandering back towards the prisoners who were watching in complete confusion, Martha and Frank as well.

“Unless you’re a Dalek, of course.” The Doctor said, shrugging

“Cover your ears.” Aludra hissed to Martha and Frank, instantly realizing what her father’s plan was.

Martha and Frank looked at her in confusion before doing as she said. The rest of the prisoners followed suit, equally confused.

“Then it’s all just noise.” The Doctor finished, noticing his daughter’s actions out of the corner of his eye. He pulled out his screwdriver and aimed it at the radio, causing it to emit a high-pitched shriek that rattled the glass. The Daleks jerked back in pain at the sound while Dalek Sec and the Pig Slaves covered their ears.

“Run!” Astraea yelled to the prisoners.

Martha and Aludra lead them out through the laboratory doors and into the dank and dubious refuge of the tunnels, Astraea and the Doctor bringing up the rear.

Reaching a junction, Martha skidded to a stop, unsure as to which way to go.

“Which way?” Martha asked frantically, looking down both possible tunnels.

“This way!” Aludra yelled, turning left and running down the tunnel with everyone behind her.

“Come on!” The Doctor yelled, him and Astraea catching up with Aludra and Martha at the front of the group. “Move, move, move, move, move!”

“Hurry, everyone!” Astraea yelled. “And stick together!”

They ran past a small turning where Tallulah was standing, looking completely lost.

“You too, Tallulah!” The Doctor yelled, running past her and down the tunnel she was standing in. “Run!”

“What’s happened to Laszlo?” Tallulah asked, noticing the distinct lack of her boyfriend.

“We’ll explain later!” Astraea called over her shoulder. Aludra grabbed the showgirl’s hand and dragged her along with them.

The Doctor and Astraea led the group through the tunnels and to the ladder that emerged near the Park.

“Honey, up.” Astraea said, ushering Aludra up the ladder. “Come on, quickly.”

Aludra hurried up the ladder, opening the hatch and climbing out of the opening, into the cold night of Manhattan. Martha went up next followed by Tallulah and Frank.

“Come on.” The Doctor urged, helping a slightly elderly man up the ladder. “Come on!”

One after another, the prisoners all climbed up the ladder, rushed but thankfully not shoving each other in their panic. Astraea and the Doctor were the last ones up, the Time Lord closing and sealing the hatch behind them to prevent them from being followed.

“Come on!” Astraea called to the large, confused and frightened group. “Everyone, stick together!”

The Doctor and Astraea led the group back towards Hooverville, the couple hand-in-hand while Martha and Aludra had their arms comfortingly around Tallulah’s shoulders. The showgirl tearfully recounted her meeting with Laszlo before falling silent, her arms wrapped around herself and drawing comfort from her new friends, the only ones who could truly understand her feelings.

Frank walked beside the three women, his eyes darting around nervously every few seconds. He vividly remembered Aludra’s reaction when she had first seen the Daleks in the tunnel and just _knew_ that if they could scare the witty Welshwoman who had a sarcastic response to just about everything, then the creatures were most certainly something to be afraid of. A part of him was curious to what Aludra’s history was, hers and the couple she was traveling with, but another part of him, admittedly the slightly bigger part, was almost afraid to learn it. He had a feeling that if he were to find out what her story was, he would never be able to see the world the same way again. He already saw the world differently and that was just after the past few hours.

By the time the tired and frightened group reached Hooverville, the stars twinkled merrily against the inky black expanse of night sky, the moon hanging high and providing a silvery light in addition to the cooking fires that were dotted around the camp. They were met by Solomon, carrying a shotgun slung over his shoulder, who wasted no time in sending the group towards the fires to warm up and have a small amount of food that they had managed to keep aside in the hopes that those missing would return.

Frank, Tallulah, Aludra and Martha sat on crude wooden benches around one of the fires, listening as the Doctor and Astraea informed Solomon about what had occurred in the tunnels. Audra had a bucket in her lap, having thrown up just after they had arrived.

“These Daleks…” Solomon said quietly after the couple finished speaking. They had spoken in turns like they usually did, momentarily confusing the man until he managed to keep up with them. “They sound like the stuff of nightmares.”

“Sir, they’re worse than nightmares.” Aludra said softly, taking a sip of water before looking up at the man. The firelight flickered along her face, illuminating her haunted sapphire eyes. “With nightmares, they’re over once you wake up, no more than a passing shadow over your mind.” Martha wrapped her arm comfortingly around her, feeling the Welshwoman’s minute tremors that weren’t just from her nausea. “With Daleks, there is no such luxury.”

“And they want to _breed_?” Solomon asked incredulously, struck by the utter haunted look in the tiny Welshwoman’s sapphire eyes. The young woman who had joked sarcastically about radioactive brains when they had first discovered the ‘jellyfish’ blob in the tunnels.

“They’re splicing themselves onto human bodies.” Astraea explained, looking more at her daughter than the man she was actually speaking to.

“If we’re right, they’ve got a farm of breeding stock right here in Hooverville.” The Doctor continued. “You’ve got to get everyone out.”

“Hooverville’s the lowest place a man can fall.” Solomon said, not in argument but just in fact. “There’s nowhere else _to_ go.”

“I’m sorry, Solomon.” Astraea said, looking truly apologetic for the position the man was in. “But you have to scatter. It doesn’t matter where you go, just scatter. Go down to the railroads, travel across state. Just get out of New York.”

“There’s got to be a way to reason with these things.” Solomon said, trying to find a solution that didn’t involve displacing people that had already been displaced several times in the past year.

“There’s not a chance.” Martha said with a scoff, her arm still around Aludra. The Welshwoman had stopped trembling, but her fear was still evident as was the haunted look in her eyes.

“You ain’t seen ‘em, boss.” Frank added, nodding in agreement to Martha’s remark.

“Daleks are bad enough at anytime, but right now they’re vulnerable.” The Doctor explained. “That makes them more dangerous than ever.”

A tense silence fell over the small group, broken by frantic whistles as a man ran through the camp.

“They’re coming!” He shouted, racing towards the general centre of the camp where Solomon was with Frank, Tallulah and the time travellers. “They’re coming!”

“A sentry.” Solomon said, springing into action and readying his rifle. “He must’ve seen something.”

Frank, Tallulah, Martha and Aludra shot to their feet, their despair and fear pushed aside. Aludra tied her hair back into a knot behind her head, held in place with her blue ribbon.

“They're here!” The sentry shouted as panic ensued throughout the campsite. “I've seen them! Monsters! They're monsters!”

“It’s started.” The Doctor said darkly, putting his arm around Astraea.

“We’re under attack!” Solomon shouted, looking at the men that were around him. “Everyone to arms!”

The men began running in different directions, grabbing shotguns from the makeshift armouries and passing them around.

“I’m ready boss.” Frank said, armed with a shotgun and standing beside Solomon. “But all of you, find a weapon!” He called out to those few that were still unarmed, mostly the younger residents of the shantytown. “Use anything!”

Martha grabbed a club while Tallulah grabbed a revolver, both women standing back-to-back near the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra. The two Welshwomen, on either side of the Time Lord, pulled their Bo Staffs out from their purses and held them out, ready to extend.

The Pig Slaves emerged from the fog, squealing and grunting as they wreaked havoc on the tents that surrounded the small group in the centre of the camp. Several people, filled with fear at the sight of the spliced creatures, turned and ran in a panic.

“Come back!” Solomon yelled to the runners retreating backs. “We've got to stick together! It's not safe out there! Come back!”

The Pig Slaves stopped wreaking havoc on the tents, and instead began grabbing the runners. The men screamed and shouted in fear, struggling futilely against the firm hold.

“We need to get out of the Park.” Martha said, her heart racing as she gripped her wooden weapon tightly.

“We can’t.”  The Doctor said, looking around at the chaos that surrounded them. “They’re on all sides.”

“They’re driving everyone back towards us.” Aludra said, gripping her Bo Staff tightly.

Sure enough, several of the people that had run, were heading back towards them, unable to get out of the Park.

“We’re trapped.” Tallulah cried in fear.

“Then we stand together.” Solomon declared. “Gather ‘round! Everybody come to me. You there, Jethro, Harry, Seamus, stay together.” The armed men formed a circle around the women and the Doctor, keeping them by the fire protectively. “They can’t take all of us.”

The armed men began firing their guns, the hail of bullets landing true on their targets and taking out the Pig Slaves that approached them. Unfortunately, with every Pig Slave that was killed, another took its place and continued the advance.

“If we can just hold them off ‘till daylight…” Martha said hopefully, holding her club tightly and ready to use it of any of the Pig Slaves got close.

“Oh Martha.” Astraea breathed, his gaze turned upwards to the night sky. “It’s not the Pig Slaves we need to worry about.”

“They’re just the foot soldiers.” The Doctor said darkly, following his fiancée’s line of sight and looking up.

Aludra followed their gaze and looked skyward, letting out a gasp of terror. She could feel her blood run cold as she tightened her grip on her Bo Staffs, pushing her fear to the side in order to focus on what was happening around her.

The shooting stopped as everyone turned their gaze upwards, all letting out cries of shock and alarm. Those that had escaped the transgenic laboratory cried out in fear before steeling their nerves.

“Oh, my God!” Martha muttered, stricken.

A Dalek flew above them, stopping at a hover directly above the small crowd of people.

“What in this world…” Solomon breathed, his eyes going wide as he took in the creature that had instilled such terror in everyone that had encountered it.

“It’s the Devil!” The sentry yelled in fear. “A Devil in the sky! God save us all, it’s damnation!”

“Oh, yeah? Well, we’ll see about that.” Frank said with a glare on his face, raising his shotgun.

Frank fired off a shot at the Dalek. It blasted in a puff of smoke as the bullet seemed to hit the Dalek point-blank, yet had no effect.

Aludra and the Doctor darted towards Frank. The Welshwoman slipped in between him and Solomon and gently pushing the barrel of the gun down, the Time Lord next to her.

“That’s not going to work.” She said hoarsely, her heart racing at the fear that Frank would be the next target while privately admiring the young man’s courage. “They have shields that protect them. Bullets may as well be flies for them.” She shot him a quick grin, her voice becoming stronger as she added, “Though I admire the courage.”

Frank shot her grin in response, his heart racing with adrenaline.

“Aludra!” The Doctor exclaimed incredulously, though relieved that his daughter was still able to be her sassy and witty self.

“What?” Aludra asked defensively, glancing at him. “I do!”

Astraea and Martha moved towards them, the Time Lady stopping on the Doctor’s other side while the med-student stood next to Aludra.

“Guys, there’s more than one of them.” Martha breathed, looking up at the sky and bringing them back on track.

Sure enough, a second Dalek swooped down beside the first. They hovered for several seconds before firing their laser guns, destroying several tents and the people that had hid inside.

Fires erupted everywhere as screams pierced the air.

Astraea and Aludra whimpered quietly, gripping their Bo Staffs tightly at the pain and death that surrounded them. Their mental shields were holding, no longer needing any more than a passing thought to keep them in place. However, the sight of people dying all around them, people that had struggled to keep moving on despite the hand that was dealt, was what tore at the two women’s hearts.

“Not again.” Astraea whimpered, seeing men, women and children alike be killed by the laser fire. “Please not again.”

The Doctor reached out and took hold of Astraea and Aludra’s arms reassuringly, trying to comfort them despite his own raging emotions.

It was too much like Gallifrey, like the Time War that had claimed both women’s lives.

 _“The humans will surrender!”_ Dalek Jast ordered.

“Leave them alone!” Astraea yelled, drawing the Daleks’ attention to her. “They have done nothing to you!”

 _“We have located the Doctor and Bad Wolf!”_ Dalek Caan said, presumably as a report to those still at the laboratory. Its eyestalk swivelled and rested on Aludra. _“And Aludra, as well!”_

Solomon lowered his gun and stepped forward. The Doctor, seeing the movement, grabbed his arm tightly.

“No, Solomon!” The Time Lord hissed through gritted teeth. “Stay back!”

“I’m told that I’m addressing the Daleks.” Solomon called, ignoring the Doctor’s words and looking up at Dalek Caan and Dalek Jast. “Is that right?” He gripped his gun tightly despite it being lowered, the only outward sign of his nervousness and fear. “From what I hear, you’re outcasts too.”

“Solomon, don’t.” Aludra warned, sheathing her Bo Staffs and stepping towards him and the Doctor, Astraea beside her.

“Look, this is _my_ township.” Solomon said firmly, looking at the three of them. “You will respect my authority.”

“Solomon, please, don’t do this.” Astraea said, all but begging the man to listen. “There is no negotiating with Daleks. They don’t bend to anyone. They will kill you where you stand and spare no second thought to the action.” Tears fell from her eyes, running down her snow white cheeks in rivers of silver. “Please!”

Solomon stared back at her and Aludra, his gaze softening at the pleading expressions and tears that both women were shedding for him.

“Just let me try.” He said softly, pulling his arm from the Doctor’s grip. The Doctor took Astraea and Aludra’s hands, gently tugging them back towards the rest of the group while Solomon faced the Daleks once more. “Daleks… ain't we all the same? Underneath, ain't we all kin?” He gently put his gun on the ground, his gaze on the Daleks, before straightening up once more. “’Cos you see, I've just discovered, this past day, God's universe is a thousand times the size I thought it was. And that scares me. Oh yeah, terrifies me right down to the bone. But surely it's got to give me hope… hope that, maybe together, we can make a better tomorrow. So, I – I beg you now, if you have any compassion in your hearts, then you'll meet with us and stop this fight. Well? What do you say?”

In the thick, heavy silence that followed, Aludra and Astraea squeezed the Doctor’s hands. They knew what was coming, the inevitable.

 _“Exterminate!”_ Dalek Caan cried, firing the laser at Solomon.

Solomon screamed in agony when the sickly green light hit him before he crumpled to the ground, dead.

The crowd erupted in shocked screams, denials and cries of shock filling the air.

“No!” Frank screamed, running to the older man. He crouched by the man’s prone body, his shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs. “Solomon!”

“They killed him.” Martha cried in horror. She looked up at the two Daleks in the sky, her horror giving way to anger. “They just shot him on the spot!”

Martha saw, then, just what it was about the Daleks that caused such hatred in the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra. The creatures had just shot an innocent and unarmed man with no provocation, for no reason other than that he was human.

“Daleks.” The Doctor growled furiously, glaring up at the Daleks with fury pouring off of him in waves. He stalked forward a few steps, his arms spread out at his sides. “Alright, so it’s my turn! Then kill me!”

Martha gasped in shock and stared at him, wide-eyed.

“What are you doing?!” Tallulah asked in alarm, stunned that he would try to provoke the creatures into killing him.

Around her, the crowd were echoing similar cries of alarm, most of whom had actually been in the tunnel with the man and remembered how his actions had allowed them to escape. Most owed him and his fiancée a debt of gratitude for helping them, yet here he was trying to provoke the creatures into killing him.

“Kill me if it will stop you attacking these people!” The Doctor continued yelling, ignoring the cries cry of alarm behind him.

Unable to find Astraea, Tallulah turned her alarmed gaze on Aludra only to be stunned at the fury that was pouring off the Welshwoman’s body in almost tangible waves. For a moment, she thought the woman was furious with the Doctor before she saw where her glare was aimed at – the Daleks.

“If you will kill my father, than you will have to kill me as well.” Aludra said, her voice filled with power as she stalked forward and stood beside her father.

 _"We will be the destroyers our greatest enemies!"_ Dalek Jast cried, aiming its laser at the Doctor while Dalek Caan aimed at Aludra.

"Then do it!” The Doctor yelled, slapping his chest with a closed fist. “Do it! Just do it!"

The two Daleks prepared to fire their lasers, the weapons twitching.

“Do it!” Aludra dared them.

Suddenly, two small, fist-sized orbs of swirling gold energy shot out from behind the Doctor and Aludra, striking the two Daleks in the eyestalks. While the energy didn’t penetrate the shields, the force of the shot sent them flying backwards several feet, spinning uncontrollably.

As one, everyone turned to where the orbs had fired from and found Astraea standing a few feet away from the crowd of humans. The humans stared at her in stunned disbelief and awe while the Doctor and Aludra had expressions of surprise on their faces.

Gold Vortex energy visibly was swirling along Astraea’s arms, stomach and face, every part of her skin that was uncovered, no longer concealed by the Perception Filter ring she was still wearing, and her gold-rimmed amethyst eyes were sparking with the power of the Mara that flowed through her. The strands of her hair that weren’t tied by her braid were billowing in an invisible wind, as was the drape of her saree behind her.

Slowly, her hair and drape stopped billowing around her, though the golden energy still swirled visibly along her skin.

“I can’t believe you were able to do it!” The Doctor exclaimed in amazement, running to her and sweeping her into his arms.

“Nana, how long have you been able to do that?” Aludra asked, completely stunned. She hadn’t been aware that Astraea had been able to use and manipulate the Vortex energy like she had been able to in her past life.

“I’ve been practicing for the past several weeks.” Astraea revealed, pulling away from her fiancée and looking at her daughter. “I’m actually quite lucky I managed to send out two energy orbs like that. I haven’t been able to do more than consciously make the energy visible through the Filter and manipulate along my skin.”

Aludra nodded in response. Astraea turned to her fiancée and slapped him at the back of the head, glaring furiously at him.

“OW!” The Doctor cried, rubbing his head where she had hit him. “What was that for?!”

“You ever do something so monumentally stupid again, I will kill you myself!” Astraea yelled at him, her fear at having nearly lost him and their daughter clear in her still sparking gold-rimmed eyes. Aldura giggled under her breath, immediately stopping when the fierce expression was turned onto her. “And the same goes for you, missy! Of all the crazy ideas you have come up with, _Annwyll,_ this has got to be the craziest!”

As she yelled at the pair, the crowd of humans continued to stare at her in complete stunned disbelief; though this time it was due to the tongue lashing she was giving her fiancé and daughter.

 _“Astraea!”_ Dalek Caan cried as the two Daleks stopped spinning, turning to face the couple and the daughter of their greatest enemies and drawing everyone’s attention back to them.

 _“The Abomination!”_ Dalek Jast cried.

“‘Abomination’?” Aludra repeated in confusion, looking at Astraea and the Doctor. “When did they call you that?”

“When your mother first took in the Time Vortex in this life.” The Doctor replied, still rubbing his head and wincing slightly at the ringing in his ears from the yelling he had received from Astraea.

Aludra nodded in understanding, remembering the events that had surrounded the couple’s trip to the Game Station in 200100 and the Doctor’s regeneration that it had resulted in.

“I told you before.” Astraea hissed furiously, glaring up at the Daleks. “That’s _Bad Wolf_ to you!”

 _“Extermina-”_ Dalek Caan cried in response, aiming the laser at Astraea. The Doctor darted forward stepped in front of her protectively, but the Dalek stopped suddenly. _“I do not understand. It is the Doctor and Bad Wolf.”_ The Doctor, Astraea and Aludra exchanged looks, completely confused by the one-sided conversation. _“The urge to kill is too strong.”_ The trio looked back at the Dalek as it lowered its weapon. _“I… obey.”_

“What just happened?” Aludra asked, frowning in confusion.

“What’s going on?” The Doctor demanded, going straight to the source and glaring up at his enemy.

 _“You will follow.”_ Dalek Jast ordered, swivelling his eyestalk between the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra.

“No!” Martha shouted, darting forward. “You can’t go!”

“They’ve got to, Martha.” Aludra said quietly, though everyone heard her. “They just changed their minds. Daleks _never_ change their minds.”

“But what about us?” Martha asked, looking helplessly at the trio and gesturing to the frightened townspeople.

“I will stay with you.” Aludra said, shifting slightly so she was standing next to Martha, taking her hand and interlocking their fingers, before glancing at the Doctor and Astraea. “We’ll be okay.”

Astraea looked between Aludra, Martha and the crowd of Hooverville residents before turning back to the Daleks.

“One condition!” Astraea called firmly, the gold energy continuing to swirl along her skin, creating a misty effect while her eyes glowed with power. “If we come with you, the lives of everyone here will be spared! Do you hear me?”

The Daleks were silent for a second before replying, _“Humans will be spared. Doctor, Bad Wolf, follow.”_

“Then I’m coming with you both.” Martha said, stepping towards the Doctor and Astraea, tugging Aludra along with her by their interlocked hands.

“Martha, you can’t.” Astraea said quietly, the gold energy slowly fading back into her skin and becoming concealed by her Perception Filter. “You and Aludra need to stay here.”

“People have been hurt.” The Doctor added, speaking just as quietly. “You girls do what you do best, help and heal them.” He smiled gently, his expression tender as he gazed at the woman that was rapidly becoming a dear friend to him, his fiancée and their daughter. “Let us go.” Martha and Aludra nodded sadly in acceptance, both filled with fear for them. The couple drew both of them into a tight hug before pulling back, the Time Lord slipping something into his daughter’s hand and winking at her as he said, “I love you, Little Sapphire.”

“I love you too, Ada.” Aludra replied, frowning slightly in confusion at the nickname and at the press of cool leather against her palm.

Idris was the only one that had ever called her ‘Little Sapphire’, in her past life when she had been a child. In her current life, already an adult when she met the sentient Time Ship again, the nickname became ‘Sapphire’ instead.

“Martha, thank you.” Astraea said, looking at the medical student meaningfully. “Thank you very much.”

With a last meaningful look at the two women, the Doctor and Astraea turned and followed the Daleks through the wreckage and away from Hooverville.

Martha and Aludra watched them go until they were hidden completely by the fog and darkness. It was when the Daleks were no longer in sight that Aludra looked down at her hand and saw what her father had passed to her.

His psychic paper.

“What…?” Martha asked, looking down at the billfold in confusion.

“Ada’s psychic paper.” Aludra said softly, glancing at it before tucking it away into her purse. She looked at Martha, seeing the scared and helpless expression on the other woman’s face. “Come on, let’s get to work. We have fires to put out and people to tend to.”

Martha nodded in agreement, pushing her confusion and fear aside in favour of focusing on her job – tending to the injured. She took up residence in Solomon’s tent, turning it into a makeshift triage unit since it was marginally bigger than the rest of the tents.

Aludra took charge of organizing the residents and calming the panic that poured off them. The first thing that was done was moving Solomon’s body from where it was crumpled and lay him in the makeshift morgue, under a sheet of canvas along with the rest of the dead.

In an attempt to help the townsfolk channel their grief in losing Solomon and several others that had been friends, she set about giving them different tasks to carry out. Many were tasked with dousing the fires, righting the shelters and working on repairs to get the town functioning once more with Frank in charge. Others were tasked with finding those that had managed to hide and helping the injured to and from Martha’s triage tent with Tallulah and Aludra herself playing the role of nurses.

Slowly, as the work progressed, so did the time and soon, it had been an hour since the Daleks had come.

Aludra entered the triage tent after checking on the townspeople and the status of the repairs, seeing Martha tend to the last of her patients, a man in his early 30’s. The injury, a slightly deep cut along the left arm, was among the least serious injuries that the med-student had tended to over the past hour.

“How’s it going out there?” Martha asked, glancing at the Welshwoman.

“The fires are out and the shelters are mostly repaired.” Aludra replied, rubbing her forehead tiredly as Tallulah entered the tent behind her, carrying a pot of boiling water.

“Here you go.” Tallulah said, aiming her words more at Martha than Aludra or the patient being tended to. “I got some more on the boil.”

“Thanks.” Martha said, smiling tiredly at the showgirl before turning to her patient. “You’ll be alright.” She said reassuringly. “It’s just a cut. Try and keep it clean.”

“Thanks.” The man said with a grateful smile, getting to his feet and walking out of the tent.

“So what about us?” Tallulah asked with a sigh. “What do we do now?”

“Ada gave me this.” Aludra said, pulling the psychic paper out of her purse and showing it to Martha and Tallulah. “He wants us to do something with it, but I’m not sure what.”

“What’s that for?” Tallulah asked curiously, eyeing the blank paper.

“It’s psychic paper. Basically, it allows you to get into places like buildings or restricted areas.” Aludra explained.

“But where?” Martha asked with a frown. “You’re right that your father must have had a reason, Aludra, but what?”

“I’m not sure.” Aludra said softly, shaking her head with a small frown on her face.

“How are you feeling, though?” Martha asked Aludra, running her keen eyes over the tiny Welshwoman. “Any more nausea or vomiting?”

“No, thank the Gods.” Aludra replied, shaking her head in relief and running a hand over her flat stomach. “It might have just been a reaction to seeing the Daleks again. _That_ is something I definitely wasn’t expecting.”

Martha nodded in acceptance, remembering how the younger woman had reacted to seeing the nightmarish creatures.

~*~

With the Doctor and Astraea 

The Doctor and Astraea walked arm-in-arm down the dimly lit corridors of the Empire State Building, escorted by Dalek Caan and Dalek Jast.

On the outside, the couple seemed calm and collected, their strides even and never faltering. On the inside, however, both were simmering with anger at the senseless deaths of the innocent humans in Hooverville.

Reaching the cavernous laboratory once more, the couple was escorted inside with their Dalek escort guarding the doorway.

“Those people were defenceless!” The Doctor roared angrily as soon as he saw Dalek Sec, striding towards the hybrid and stopping directly in front of him.

“You only wanted the two of us, but no!” Astraea added just as angrily, standing beside her fiancé and mirroring his actions, glaring at the hybrid. “You had to start killing those innocent people as well!”

“That’s the only thing a Dalek’s good for.” The Doctor hissed venomously.

 _“The deaths were wrong.”_ Dalek Sec said, halting the Doctor and Astraea’s tirade before it could continue.

“Come again?” Astraea said, staring at the Human-Dalek in shock.

“I’m sorry?” The Doctor said, just as shocked and stunned as his Soul Bonded.

 _“That man…”_ Dalek Sec said slowly. _“Their leader, Solomon. He showed courage.”_

“And that’s a good thing?” Astraea asked slowly, an eyebrow raised incredulously.

 _“That’s_ excellent _.”_ Dalek Sec corrected.

The Doctor and Astraea exchanged looks before looking back at the hybrid.

“Is it me or are you just becoming a little bit more… human?” The Doctor asked, eyeing Dalek Sec curiously.

 _“You both are the last of your kind.”_ Dalek Sec said. _“And now, I am the first of mine.”_

“But what do you want us for?” Astraea asked, gesturing to herself and the Doctor.

Dalek Sec looked at the couple for a moment before walking past them.

 _“We tried everything to survive when we found ourselves stranded in this ignorant age.”_ He explained. _“First we tried growing new Dalek embryos, but their flesh was too weak.”_

“Yeah, we found one of your experiments.” The Doctor said darkly. “Just left to die, out there in the dark.”

 _“It forced us to conclude – what is the greatest resource of this planet?”_ Dalek Sec said. _“Its people.”_ The Human-Dalek flipped a breaker switch, lighting up the entire cavern and revealing hundreds of platforms floating above them. He flipped another breaker, bringing one down to chest level, revealing that it was in fact a stretcher with a shrouded form laying on it. The three stepped up around the stretcher as Dalek Sec continued, _“We stole them. We stole human beings for our purpose.”_ He pointed to the white shroud. _“Look inside.”_ The Doctor and Astraea exchanged looks, small frowns marring their faces. The Time Lord reached out and slowly removed the shroud, uncovering the figure beneath. It was a male, around mid-thirties with his eyes closed, his expression almost peaceful despite the pasty pallor of his skin. _“This is the true extent of the Final Experiment.”_

“Is he dead?” The Doctor asked.

 _“Near death.”_ Dalek Sec replied, looking down at the human. _“With his mind wiped, ready to be filled with new ideas.”_

“Let me guess, Dalek ideas.” Astraea said, only half sarcastic.

 _“The Human-Dalek race.”_ Dalek Sec said, nodding in confirmation.

The Doctor and Astraea looked up at the numerous stretchers that filled the space above them, noting how it seemed to be endless.

“All of these people.” The Doctor said softly. “How many?”

 _“We have caverns beyond this, storing more than a thousand.”_ Dalek Sec replied.

“Is there any way to restore them?” Astraea asked, looking back at the Human-Dalek. “To make them Human again?”

 _“Everything that they were has been lost.”_ Dalek Sec replied softly, looking down at the man on the stretcher.

“So they’re like shells.” The Doctor summarized in realization. “You’ve got empty human beings, ready to be converted.”

“That is going to take an incredible amount of power.” Astraea remarked. “Humans haven’t even split the atom yet, how do you plan on converting all these people?”

 _“Open the conductor plan.”_ Dalek Sec ordered, looking at Dalek Jast and Dalek Caan.

~*~

With Aludra and Martha 

Aludra fiddled with the psychic paper and paced a tight circle inside the tent, trying to figure out what her father had intended when he handed it to her.

“Wait a minute.” Martha said thoughtfully, causing Aludra to stop pacing and look at her curiously. “Down in the sewers! The Daleks mentioned this… energy conductor.”

“What does that mean?” Tallulah asked, completely confused.

“I don’t know.” Martha admitted, shrugging helplessly. “Maybe like a lightning conductor or…”

“Dalekanium!” Aludra exclaimed in realization, startling Tallulah. Martha looked at her with a small frown, not sure what the Welshwoman meant. “Remember, they had said ‘the Dalekanium was in place’.”

“In place where?!” Tallulah asked, looking cross between overwhelmed, terrified and like she was barely holding back the tears of frustration.

“Frank might know.” Martha said, turning and striding out of the tent.

Tallulah and Aludra quickly followed her outside. The three women hurriedly crossed the short distance towards Frank, the man sitting on a box in a nearby tent, his shoulders hunched over and shuddering with silent sobs. All around them, the residents were in no better shape, everyone struggling to hold on to what little strength and faith they had in the face of something so evil; most were doing what Aludra had tasked them with, keeping busy so they didn’t have to think about what they had lost and the fate that awaited them.

“Frank?” Aludra called gently as the three women stepped up to him.

“Hmm?” Frank acknowledged his name being called though didn’t look up.

“I know this is difficult, but can I ask you a few questions?” Aludra asked gently, crouching in front of him.

Frank nodded mutely, looking at Aludra but not really seeing her. There was just enough awareness in his expression to show that he was listening, but nothing else, too caught up in his grief.

“The general consensus of Mr. Diagoras is that he’s some kind of fixer, yeah?” Aludra asked, not moving from where she was crouched in front of the younger man. “He’d get people jobs all over town?”

“Yeah, he could find a profit anywhere.” Frank replied softly, nodding.

“Where in particular?” Aludra asked. “What sort of things would he hire people for?”

“You name it.” Frank said, shaking his head. He looked out at the mass off tents that surrounded them, his gaze roving over the residents of Hooverville. “We’re all so desperate for work, you’d just hope Diagoras would pick you for something good.” He shook his head again and glanced down at his hands, picking at his nails. “Building work – that pays the best.”

“But what sort of building work?” Martha asked, crouching beside Aludra and looking up at Frank.

“Mainly building that.” Frank replied, gesturing over his shoulder.

Aludra, Martha and Tallulah looked in the direction he was pointing at and saw the incomplete Empire State Building looming in the distance.

~*~

With the Doctor and Astraea 

The Doctor, Astraea and Dalek Sec looked at the revolving image of the Empire State Building that was on the screen.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, the Empire State Building.” The Doctor said, nodding. “We're right underneath that. I worked that out already, thanks. But what, you've hijacked the whole building?”

 _“We… needed an… energy conductor.”_ Dalek Sec said, gesturing to the image on the screen.

“What for?” Astraea asked, a small frown on her face.

 _“I… am the genetic template.”_ Dalek Sec said, looking at the couple. _“My altered DNA… was to be administered to each… Human body.”_ He waved his hand at the screen and the DNA helix’ of both species appeared. _“A strong enough blast of gamma radiation can splice… the Dalek and human genetic codes, and waken… each body from its sleep.”_

“Gamma radiation?” Astraea repeated with a frown, looking up at the Human-Dalek.

The image on the screen zoomed out to display the Earth and the burning sun, the planet being bathed in the golden life-giving rays.

“Oh, the sun!” The Doctor breathed in realization. “You’re using the sun.”

 _“Soon, the greatest solar flare in… a thousand years will hit the Earth.”_ Dalek Sec said. The image on the screen showed a concentrated ring of the golden life-giving rays hitting the Earth. _“Gamma radiation will be drawn… to the energy conductor, and… when it strikes…”_

“The army awakes.” Astraea finished, looking at the screen. “But what do you need us for?”

 _“Your genius.”_ Dalek Sec replied, looking at them. The Doctor and Astraea turned to him, eyebrows raised in mild surprise. _“Consider… the pure Dalek. Intelligent, but… emotionless.”_

“Removing the emotions makes you stronger.” The Doctor reminded the Human-Dalek.

“At least, that had been what your creator believed all those years ago.” Astraea added.

 _“He was wrong.”_ Dalek Sec said, his voice quiet but firm in his belief.

“He was what?” The Doctor and Astraea asked in unison, staring at Dalek Sec in stunned disbelief.

 _“It makes us… lesser than… our enemies.”_ Dalek Sec said softly. _“We must… return to the flesh, and also… the heart.”_

“But you won’t be the supreme beings anymore.” The Doctor pointed out,

 _“And that… is good.”_ Dalek Sec said, nodding in agreement.

 _“That is incorrect!”_ Dalek Jast said, swivelling around to face them.

 _“Daleks are supreme!”_ Dalek Caan agreed.

 _“No! Not anymore.”_ Dalek Sec said strongly, shaking his head.

 _“But that is our purpose!”_ Dalek Caan argued.

 _“Then our purpose… is wrong!”_ Dalek Sec said with finality. _“Where… has our quest for supremacy led us? To this.”_ He gestured around at the cavern they were in. _“Hiding… in the sewers… on a primitive world. Just four of us… left.”_ He looked at his brothers, still encased in their metal shells. _“If we do not change now… then we deserve extinction.”_

“Let me get this straight.” Astraea said, shaking her head slightly. “You want to change everything that makes a Dalek a Dalek?”

 _“If… you can help me.”_ Dalek Sec confirmed, looking at the Doctor and Astraea.

The couple looked at each other for a moment before turning to the Human-Dalek, wide grins on their faces.

“What are we waiting for?” The Doctor asked rhetorically.

~*~

With Aludra and Martha 

Martha, Aludra, Frank and Tallulah clambered into the service lift of the Empire State Building.

“I always wanted to go to the Empire State.” Martha commented, shooting Aludra a bright grin. “Never imagined it quite like this, though.”

“Where are we headed anyway?” Frank asked curiously, looking up at the ceiling as they ascended.

“The very top.” Aludra replied, tying her long hair into a knot at the base of her neck to keep it out of her way. “The area that is still under construction.”

“How come those guys just let us through?” Tallulah asked. She glanced at Aludra’s purse where the psychic paper was tucked away “How’s that thing work?”

“It’s psychic paper; it basically shows them whatever the wielder wants them to see.” Aludra explained.

“According to it, we’re three engineers and an architect.” Martha added since she knew Aludra hadn’t known what was written on it.

“Before showing it to the guards, you asked Martha to look at it. Why?” Frank asked curiously.

“Because I can’t read what’s written on it.” Aludra said sheepishly. “To me, it’s just a blank piece of paper. It also tends to be quite tricky to use; you can’t let your mind wander or there’s no telling what might slip.”

“How come it doesn’t work on you?’ Tallulah asked curiously.

“I’m not entirely sure.” Aludra said, deflecting slightly. She didn’t want to admit that she was too clever for the psychic paper to work on her, knowing that it was a very rude thing to say. “Though I think it’s because I have mental shields that protect my mind from being shown something false.”

The three humans nodded, understanding at least the basics of what mental shields were for without having to be told.

~*~

With the Doctor and Astraea 

_“Your… knowledge of genetic engineering is… even greater than ours.”_ Dalek Sec said, leading the couple back towards the lowered stretcher. _“The new race must be ready by the time the solar flare erupts.”_

“But you’re the template.” The Doctor pointed out, glancing at the Human-Dalek before looking back at the pal, prone figure lying on the stretcher. “I thought they were getting a dose of you.”

 _“I want you both to change the gene sequence.”_ Dalek Sec admitted, looking at the two Time Lords.

“To make them even _more_ Human?” Astraea asked in surprise, a single arched eyebrow raised.

 _“Humans are the great survivors.”_ Dalek Sec said in explanation of his actions. He looked down at the pale man on the stretcher. _“We need that ability.”_

“You do realize that there is absolutely no way this lot’s going to let you go through with your plan, right?” Astraea asked, gesturing behind them to the three Daleks still encased in their metal shells.

 _“I am their leader.”_ Dalek Sec said strongly, looking at his brethren.

“Oh, and that’s enough for you, is it?” The Doctor asked, half-sarcastic and half-curious to know the response.

 _“Daleks must follow orders.”_ Dalek Caan said.

 _“Dalek Sec commands. We obey.”_ Dalek Thay added, gliding forward and joining them.

 _“If you don’t help me… nothing will change.”_ Dalek Sec said, looking at the Doctor and Astraea.

“There’s no room on Earth for another race of people.” Astraea said shaking her head sadly.

 _“You have your TARDIS.”_ Dalek Sec said, almost desperately. _“Take us across the stars. Find us a new home and allow the new Daleks to start again.”_

The Doctor and Astraea exchanged a long look, both pondering the Human-Dalek’s request.

“When’s that solar flare?” The Doctor asked finally, looking back at Dalek Sec.

 _“11 minutes.”_ Dalek Sec replied, an almost hopeful look in his eye.

“Then we had better get to work.” Astraea said with finality, tying her braid into a knot at the base of her neck and putting her purse to the side. The Doctor pulled out his glasses and slipped them on, shooting the Human-Dalek a bright grin.

~*~

With Aludra and Martha 

“Look at this place!” Tallulah breathed, looking around the works office with wide eyes as they stepped off the lift. “Top of the world!”

“Okay, now this looks important.” Martha said, noticing a drawing board with a stack of thin sheets clipped to it.

She strode up to it with Aludra and Frank, stopping and looking at the sheets – the blueprints for the building.

“Hey, look at the date.” Frank said, tapping the stamp at the bottom right corner. “These designs were issued today.”

“The Daleks must have changed something last minute.” Aludra said thoughtfully, lifting the top sheet and looking at the date stamp of the design underneath. “These ones,” she pointed to the date stamp on the second sheet as she continued, “They’re from a few weeks ago.”

“That means whatever they changed must be on this top sheet, but not here.” Martha said, looking between the first and second sheets. “We need to check one against the other.”

“The height of this place!” Tallulah exclaimed in amazement as Martha and Frank carefully removed the top two sheets from the drawing board. “This is amazing!”

“Be careful, we’re over a hundred floor up.” Aludra called, glancing at the showgirl with a fond smile on her face.

“Yeah, don’t go wandering off.” Martha added.

“I just wanna see.” Tallulah said but nodded at the caution.

While Tallulah stepped out of sight, Aludra, Frank and Martha began comparing the blueprint sheets to find the difference.

~*~

With the Doctor and Astraea 

“There’s no point in chromosomal grafting.” The Doctor said, crouching in front of a low table holding a series of bubbling solutions, adjusting the flame with one hand and holding a beaker with the other. “It’s too erratic.”

“You need to split the genome and force the new Dalek-Human sequence right into the cortex.” Astraea added, standing next to Dalek Sec and working on the solutions.

The Doctor darted around them to another table and poured the bubbling solution he was holding into another beaker.

 _“We need more chromatic solution.”_ Dalek Sec said, looking into a vial containing a dark coloured liquid.

 _“The Pig Slaves have it.”_ Dalek Caan said, his eyestalk swivelling around to look at the door.

The Doctor and Astraea turned around to see the Pig Slaves shuffle into the cavern, carrying large crates in pairs. They both noticed Laszlo among them, keeping his head down and trying to stay inconspicuous.

“What happens to the Pig Slaves in the ‘Grand Plan’?” Astraea asked, looking at Dalek Sec with an expression of curiosity on her face. The Doctor was the only one who noticed the undercurrent of concern in the tone and in the creasing of her large, expressive eyes.

 _“Nothing.”_ Dalek Sec replied, not looking away from his task. _“They’re just simple beasts. Their life span in limited.”_ Listening to the Human-Dalek speak, the Doctor and Astraea looked over at the Pig Slaves. They were unloading the crates, Laszlo helping them. _“None survive beyond a few weeks.”_ He turned to Dalek Jast, ordering, _“Power up the line feeds.”_

The Doctor and Astraea exchanged looks and discretely walked towards Laszlo where he was helping the Pig Slaves.

“Laszlo… we can’t undo what they’ve done to you.” The Doctor said quietly, his voice filled with regret.

“But they won’t do it to anyone else.” Astraea vowed. She knew that it was little consolation for the innocent man who was torn away from his love and changed into what he viewed to be a monster.

“Do you trust him?” Laszlo asked quietly, glancing at Dalek Sec over his shoulder before looking back at the Doctor and Astraea.

The Doctor and Astraea glanced at the biped, watching him work diligently at the compounds a few feet away.

“I know that one man, or woman, can change the course of history.” The Doctor replied, turning his gaze back to Laszlo.

“The right idea, in the right time, at the right place – sometimes, that’s all it takes.” Astraea added softly. “We’ve got to believe it’s possible.” She looked at Laszlo with ancient and weary eyes, far too old for her youthful face. Beside her, her fiancée had a similar look in his own eyes. “We have to have hope, because it’s the only thing that’s gotten us this far.”

The couple glanced at Dalek Sec for a moment before turning and walking away, heading back to the workstations.

Laszlo watched them go, seeing, not for the first time, the length the couple would go for each other and for their daughter. However, this was the first time he was seeing how far they were willing to go for the very same creatures that were very likely to be behind the shadows in their ancient and weary eyes that were too old for their youthful faces.

~*~

With Aludra and Martha 

Frank, Aludra and Martha sat on the stone floor, looking at the blueprints that were spread around them. They could hear the sound of a storm brewing outside and as another rumble of thunder echoed around them, Tallulah walked up to them.

“I’ll go and keep an eye out.” Frank said, getting to his feet and stepping away. “Make sure we’re safe here, don’t want nobody butting in.”

“Okay, be careful.” Martha said, nodding.

Frank nodded and walked outside, going into the partially constructed hallway.

“There’s a hell of a storm moving in.” Tallulah remarked, sitting down in Frank’s previous spot next to Martha.

“I wish Ada or Nana were here.” Aludra muttered frustratedly, looking at the blueprints. “They’d at least be able to tell us what we’re looking for!”

“So, tell me Martha, where did you and them first hook up?” Tallulah asked curiously.

“It was in a hospital.” Martha replied distractedly, not looking away from the blueprints. “Sort of.”

“Of course, him being a doctor.” Tallulah said, nodding in understanding.

“Actually, when they met it was because Ada had been a patient.” Aludra remarked with a light giggle, remembering what their cover story had been.

“And _I’m_ a doctor.” Martha said, glancing at the show girl. She paused for a moment, remembering that she hadn’t taken her exams yet and added, “Well, kind of.”

“You're a physician?” Tallulah asked, mildly surprised. “Really?”

Suddenly, the Londoner’s behaviour when tending to the injured in Hooverville made more sense. The calm and practical way she had looked after and reassured each of her patients.

“I was training.” Martha explained. “Still am, if I ever get back home.”

“We’ll get you home, Martha.” Aludra said softly, putting a reassuring hand on the older girl’s arm.

Martha gave her a small smile in response and turned back to the blueprints.

“What about you, Aludra?” Tallulah asked curiously, looking at the pretty, sapphire-eyed Welshwoman. “Are you a physician, too?”

It wasn’t too much of a stretch to believe that, as far as the showgirl was concerned. As professional, calm and practical Martha was when tending to the injured, the way Aludra had taken charge and organized the frightened and despaired residence was a feat in and of itself.

“No, I’m not a doctor.” Aludra said, laughing lightly and shaking her head. “I’m an Administrative Aide. I work primarily with Adam, but I sometimes work with the other doctors at the hospital as well.”

“I’m guessing that’s how the two of you met?” Tallulah asked curiously. “You and him?”

“Yeah.” Aludra replied nodding. “For a long time, we were just friends and co-workers. But when I was going through a really rough time, he was there for me when I needed him.” She sighed, looking out through the open wall into the distance. A light blush adorned her cheeks as she thought about her beloved. “That was when I realized that, at some point over the years we had known each other, I had stopped seeing him as a friend; I realized that I was in love with him.”

“That’s so sweet!” Tallulah squealed, grinning brightly. Aludra blushed brightly as the showgirl turned to Martha, adding, “You could be doctor’s together, you, the Doctor and Adam. Oh, what a partnership!”

Martha and Aludra laughed lightly, the showgirl’s enthusiasm affecting them.

“They had this… Companion a while back.” Martha said softly, a sigh escaping her lips.

Aludra, realizing where Martha was going, stopped laughing as an expression of pain and sorrow crossed her features.

“She was our god sister.” Aludra said quietly, fighting back the tears of sorrow. “We lost her and a few other family members some time ago.”

Shaking her head, Aludra got to her feet and walked away, heading to an open area that overlooked the city.

“They’ve been on their own ever since they lost their family members, just the three of them.” Martha said softly, watching Aludra look out over the darkened city. “Occasionally, Adam would join them, or their sister and her kids would, but for the most part, it’s just the three of them.” She sighed, turning her attention to the showgirl next to her. “But you know, sometimes I say or do something, and he looks at me and I just sort of think… that he’s not seeing _me_. He’s remembering one of the people he’s lost. I mean, Astraea and Aludra have been great, they treat me like I’m my own person and not a replacement, or at least… they try to.”

Aludra, who had been listening to what Martha was saying, felt a pang of guilt shoot through her. The young human woman didn’t deserve to be treated like a replacement for Rose, or for any of the people they had lost over the years. Martha was her own person and Aludra silently vowed to make sure she knew, without a doubt, that she was never seen as a replacement, at least not for her.

“Aw, listen sweetheart. You want to get all sad?” Tallulah asked, her tone gentle. “You want to have a contest with me and Laszlo?”

“No.” Martha replied honestly, shaking her head.

Aludra slowly walked back and rejoined Martha and Tallulah, retaking her spot across from the medical student. She reached out and put a comforting hand on the showgirl’s arm, truly understanding what she was going through.

“Listen, Tallulah, if Nana and Ada are with Laszlo, they will save him, they will get him out.” The Welshwoman said gently, firmly believing in her parents.

“And then what?” Tallulah asked heartbrokenly, unshed tears shining in her large eyes. “Don’t talk crazy. There’s no future for me and him. Those Dalek things took that away. The one good thing I had in my life, and they destroyed it.”

In a move similar to Aludra’s only a few minutes earlier, Tallulah got to her feet and walked back out to the open area, desperately fighting her tears that threatened to fall.

“I know how she feels.” Aludra said softly, looking at Tallulah’s retreating back sadly.

Martha nodded, knowing that the younger woman was referring to the Battle of Canary Wharf and also of her past life when the Daleks had killed her.

With small, sad sighs, the two women returned to the blueprints, trying to find the difference that would give them the vital clue they needed.

~*~

With the Doctor and Astraea 

_“The line feeds are ready.”_ Dalek Caan announced.

“Then it’s all systems go.” The Doctor said hurriedly, filling a massive syringe with a bubbling blue liquid.

 _“The solar flare is imminent.”_ Dalek Sec said, looking at the screen. He turned to the Doctor and Astraea, adding, _“The radiation will reach Earth in a matter of minutes.”_

“We’ll be ready when it reaches.” Astraea said calmly, taking the syringe from her fiancé and injecting the liquid into a brass still. “This compound will allow the gene bonds to reconfigure in a brand-new pattern.”

“Power up!” The Doctor ordered loudly as soon as the liquid had fully dispensed into the still.

A Pig Slave threw up s set of breakers and Laszlo mirrored the action with another. The Doctor and Astraea joined Dalek Sec and looked up at the screen.

 _“Start… the line feeds.”_ Dalek Sec ordered.

Dalek Jast activated the machinery and they all watched as the liquid, blue in colour, moved up the plastic tubes towards each of the bodies hanging above them.

“There goes the gene solution.” The Doctor said, grinning.

 _“The life blood.”_ Dalek Sec added.

“It’s a lot bubblier than I anticipated.” Astraea commented thoughtfully.

The Doctor just shook his head fondly and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pressing a kiss to her head.

~*~

With Aludra and Martha 

“Ugh, this is like playing ‘Find the Difference’.” Martha muttered frustratedly, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

“I always hated that game.” Aludra said conversationally, absently tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

“Gotcha!” Martha cried delightedly, all traces of her exhaustion vanishing instantly.

“Great!” Tallulah exclaimed delightedly. “What did you find?”

“Look, there on the mast.” Martha replied, pointing to one of the sheets. “Those little lines?”

“They added something.” Aludra said in realization. “Something that is important but can only be done in the final stages of building.”

“Added what?” Tallulah asked.

The three women looked at each other for a heartbeat before exclaiming in unison, “Dalekanium!”

Martha laughed delightedly.

~*~

With the Doctor and Astraea 

A klaxon alarm blared through the cavern.

“What’s that?” The Doctor asked.

 _“What’s happening?”_ Dalek Sec asked, looking at the other Daleks. _“Is there a malfunction? Answer me!”_

“Oh no, no, no, no!” The Doctor cried, seeing the warning flash across the screen. “The gene feed!”

“They’re overriding the gene feed!” Astraea cried, looking at the readouts that replaced the warning alert.

 _"Impossible.”_ Dalek Sec argued as the Time Lords hurriedly tried to stop the transfer. _“They cannot disobey orders."_

“I hate to break it to you, but they currently are!” Astraea snapped, no trace of her usual politeness as she and her fiancé worked frantically.

 _“The Doctor and Bad Wolf will step away from the controls.”_ Dalek Jast ordered warningly, pointing the laser gun at the couple.

The Doctor and Astraea eyed the laser distastefully but stepped away from the controls, the Time Lord staying protectively in front of his fiancée.

 _“Stop!”_ Dalek Sec shouted. _“You will not fire!”_

 _“They are the enemies of the Daleks.”_ Dalek Caan said, gliding towards them.

 _“And so are you.”_ Dalek Jast added, alternating between pointing the laser between the Time Lords and the Human-Dalek.

 _“I am your commander! I am Dalek Sec!”_ Dalek Sec shouted.

 _“You have lost your authority.”_ Dalek Jast informed him.

 _“You are no longer a Dalek.”_ Dalek Caan said.

“What did you do to the gene feed?” Astraea asked, leaning around the Doctor so that she could see the Daleks. “What’s going into it?”

 _“The new bodies will be 100% Dalek.”_ Dalek Jast declared.

 _“No!”_ Dalek Sec shouted in dismay. _“You can’t do this!”_

 _“Pig Slaves, restrain Dalek Sec, the Doctor and Bad Wolf.”_ Dalek Thay ordered, laser arm alternatively pointed between the three newly-turned prisoners.

Two Pig Slaves grabbed Dalek Sec by the arms while another grabbed the Doctor and Astraea. Feeling her purse pressed into her hand, she glanced at who was holding them and saw that it was Laszlo.

 _“Release me!”_ Dalek Sec ordered, struggling against the firmer hold the Pig Slaves had on him. _“I created you! I am your master!”_

Another alarm blared through the room.

 _“Solar flare approaching!”_ Dalek Thay announced as Astraea slipped her bag onto her wrist and tightened the strings to keep it in place.

 _“Prepare to intercept!”_ Dalek Jast ordered.

“There’s the lift.” Laszlo whispered as the lift bell dinged its arrival.

“After you.” The Doctor said.

“Ladies first.” Laszlo quipped, winking at Astraea.

She shook her head and smiled at him, lifting up her saree and running towards the lift, the two males directly behind her. The Doctor pulled out his screwdriver and pointed it at the doors, opening them.

 _“The Doctor and Bad Wolf are escaping! Stop them!”_ Dalek Jast ordered frantically as the three slipped into the lift. _“Stop them!”_

The Pig Slaves ran after them, reaching the lift just as the doors slammed close in their faces. Laszlo leaned against the wall, panting as Astraea pressed the button for the floor they wanted to go to.

“We’ve only got minutes before the gamma radiation reaches the Earth. We need to get to the top of the building.” The Doctor said as they began their ascent.

“Laszlo, what’s wrong?” Astraea asked, looking at the man worriedly.

“Out of breath.” Laszlo replied, shaking his head and smiling at them reassuringly. “It’s nothing.” The Doctor and Astraea looked at him, concerned and unconvinced. “We escaped them, that’s all that matters.”

The Doctor and Astraea exchanged looks but didn’t comment. They knew what was wrong – Laszlo’s body was failing. It was a miracle he had even lasted as long as he did, and Astraea suspected that it had everything to do with the man’s love for Tallulah.

The doors opened a few minutes later, revealing the top floor. Aludra and Martha spun around as the Doctor, Astraea and Laszlo stepped out of the lift.

“Doctor! Astraea!” Martha exclaimed in relief, beaming brightly.

“First floor, perfumery.” The Doctor said cheerfully as Aludra ran up to them.

The sapphire eyed woman threw her arms around her parents, hugging them tightly. The couple hugged her back just as tightly, relieved to see that she was okay.

“Thank the Gods you’re alright!” Aludra said softly, her voice muffled by the Doctor’s chest.

“I never thought I’d see you again.” Tallulah admitted, running to Laszlo.

“No stopping me.” Laszlo quipped, hugging the showgirl tightly.

“Ada, Nana, we worked out what they’ve done.” Aludra said, pulling away from her parents and tugging them over to where Martha was standing by the plans.

“There’s Dalekanium on the mast.” Martha said, grinning brightly at the small family. “And it’s good to see you too, by the way.”

“Oh, come here.” The Doctor said, grinning and pulling the medical student into a hug. Astraea and Aludra laughed lightly as the Time Lord spun Martha around only to drop her abruptly when the lift bell dinged, and the doors began to close. “Oh no, no, no, no! See? Never waste time with a hug!” He ran to the doors and used the screwdriver on the control panel, trying to reopen the doors to no avail. “Deadlock seal. I can’t stop it.”

“Where’s it going? Aludra asked as Frank ran back inside, drawn by the sound of the Doctor’s frustrated shouts.

“Down to the Daleks.” Astraea replied. “And you can be sure that they’re not going to leave us be up here.”

“She’s right.” The Doctor agreed, nodding. “What’s the time?”

“11:15.” Aludra and Frank replied in unison, one looking at the clock on the shelf and the other looking at a pocket watch.

“6 minutes to go.” Astraea said.

“We’ve got to remove the Dalekanium before the gamma radiation hits.” The Doctor said.

“Gammon radiation?” Tallulah said in confusion, mispronouncing the name. “What the heck is that?”

Aludra and Martha grabbed the Doctor and Astraea respectively, pulling them towards the open area at a run.

“Oh, that’s high.” The Doctor said, gulping nervously and looking at the city spread out below them. “That's very… blimey, that's high.”

“It’s not that bad.” Astraea remarked, shrugging unconcernedly.

“I’m not even gonna ask.” Martha said, shaking her head. “But we’ve got to go even higher.”

“There’s a mast up at the very top.” Aludra explained, moving away from the edge and pointing at the construct in question through an opening in the ceiling. “There are three pieces of Dalekanium at the base that we need to remove.”

“That’s not ‘we’.” Astraea said, gesturing to the four of them. She gestured to herself and the Doctor, saying, “That’s just ‘we’.”

“We’re not going to just stand here and _watch_ you two!” Martha argued.

“I’m with Martha on this one.” Aludra said, glaring at her parents.

“You girls are already going to have your hands full.” The Doctor said, looking between the two young women. “I’m sorry Martha, Aludra, but you two have got to fight.”

Martha and Aludra looked at each other for a second before turning back to the Doctor and Astraea and nodding.

“Be careful.” Aludra pleaded, stepping back as the Doctor began climbing the ladder.

“You too, my darlings.” Astraea said, lifting the bottom of her saree up over her legs and tying it around her thighs.

She removed her heels and handed them to Aludra before following her fiancé up the ladder. Reaching the top and emerging on the roof, the pair looked up at the mast looming above them. With a nervous gulp, the Doctor began climbing up the scaffolding with Astraea, the wind whipping around them.

Climbing onto the base of the mast, the Doctor held his hand out and pulled Astraea onto it. They had to cling to the mast with one hand, the space barely big enough for the both of them. He carefully pulled his screwdriver out with his free hand and began sonicking the bolts holding the Dalekanium panels in place. With her own free hand, Astraea pried the panels back as he worked.

Lightning streaked across the dark night sky, the corresponding crack of thunder heralding the mighty rains that poured down on them.

~*~

With Aludra and Martha 

Martha, Frank, Laszlo and Tallulah stood in front of the lift holding up makeshift weapons while Aludra had her Bo Staffs out and extended.

“The lift is on its way up.” Aludra said, looking at the floor indicator above the lift doors.

“I should have brought that gun.” Frank grumbled under his breath.

“Tallulah, stay back.” Laszlo said, glancing at the showgirl. “You too, Martha. If they send Pig Slaves, they're trained to kill.”

“The Doctor and Astraea need me to fight.” Martha argued, shaking her head. “I’m not going anywhere!”

“They're savages!” Laszlo shouted, trying to push the stubborn women back. “I should know! They're trained to slit your throat with their bare teeth."

“Laszlo, I get what you’re trying to say, but I’ve been taught how to fight and defend myself by some of the best fighters in the world.” Aludra said, looking at him.

Laszlo looked back at her, taking in the firm way she was holding her Bo Staffs as well as her posture and the hard look in her eyes. This was a woman who had fought in more ways than one, a woman who wasn’t afraid to take a life if it meant protecting her loved ones, protecting innocent people.

He sighed and nodded, turning his attention back to the lift, collapsing to the ground a second later.

“Laszlo?!” Tallulah cried in alarm, dropping her wrench and kneeling beside her boyfriend. “What is it?”

“Nah, it’s nothing.” Laszlo replied dismissively, struggling to get back to his feet. “I’m fine. Just leave me.”

He collapsed against the wall, panting for breath. Tallulah crouched next to him, putting a hand to his forehead and checking his temperature.

“Oh, honey, you're burning up.” Tallulah said worriedly.  “What's wrong with you? Tell me.”

“One man down, we ain’t even _started_ yet.” Frank muttered quietly.

“Oh, this is not looking good.” Aludra remarked.

“Nope.” Frank agreed, shaking his head.

“We’re going to get slaughtered.” Martha moaned.

“Both of you stay behind me.” Aludra said, stepping in front of Martha and Frank. “I’ll hold them off for as long as I can. Hopefully, I can minimize the number before they reach you.”

Martha looked ready to argue but held her tongue, remembering what the Welshwoman had said about her ability to fight. She knew the younger woman was fully capable of fighting, just the way she carried herself and held her weapons was a testament to that. So, against every part of her telling her to argue, she stepped back just as lightning streaked across the sky heralding the approaching storm.

“Wait a minute.” She said, spinning around to look at the stormy sky. “Lightning!”

Aludra whipped around and looked at the sky, a grin forming on her face as she realized what the medical student was talking about. Retracting her Bo Staffs and tucking them into her garters, she helped Martha and Frank carry sections of the metal scaffolding and chairs across the floor.

“Aw, you’ll be all right. sweetheart.” Tallulah crooned softly to Laszlo, wiping away the sweat that beaded his brow. “Don’t you worry.” She looked at Aludra, Martha and Frank who were hurriedly setting the scaffolding panels on any of the chairs, stools and crates they could find. “What the hell are you clowns doing?” She snapped.

“Even if Nana and Ada manage to stop the Dalekanium, the building is still going to get hit by the lightning.” Aludra explained, making sure the rods didn’t touch the ground. “Electricity is going to run through the entire structure so we’re connecting the scaffolding to the lift. The Pig Slaves get zapped and we don’t have to fight.”

"Oh my God, that could work!" Tallulah exclaimed, impressed.

“Then give us a hand!” Frank exclaimed, groaning under the weight of the rod he was carrying.

~*~

With the Doctor and Astraea 

Working together, the Doctor unbolted one of the panels from the mast before moving onto the second. Astraea tossed the unneeded panel to the side before moving to help her fiancé, the man shivering violently in the rapidly increasing cold while she herself remained largely unaffected due to her being a Chosen One as well as a Time Lady. The screwdriver slipped from his numb hands, falling over the side before either of them could catch it.

“What do we do now?” Astraea asked worriedly, looking up at the Doctor.

He looked up at the sky as lightning streaked across it before looking back at her, a maniacal grin on his face.

Astraea groaned, knowing without having to ask just what her insane beloved had in mind.

~*~

With Aludra and Martha 

“Is that going to work?” Tallulah asked nervously, looking at Martha and Aludra.

The two women set the last scaffolding rod in place, making a line of metal from the lightning conductor at the very edge to the lift doors.

“It’s got to.” Martha muttered quietly, biting her lip nervously.

She and Aludra valiantly tried not to think of what could go wrong and prayed that the mad plan would work. They joined Tallulah and Laszlo by the pillar, crouching next to them.

“I've got it all piped up to the scaffolding outside.” Frank said, joining them by the pillar.

“Good.” Aludra said, smiling at him. “Come here, Frank. Sit in the middle and don’t touch anything that’s metal.”

“Yeah.” Frank said, nodding.

He sat down next to Aludra and Martha, wrapping his arms around their shoulders. The small group huddled together and watched the lift indicator as inched closer to the top floor.

~*~

With the Doctor and Astraea 

The Doctor and Astraea climbed onto the mast and wrapped their arms around each other, the pole in between them. He leaned around the metal rod and pulled her into a deep kiss before pulling back, panting slightly.

“I love you.” He said, looking into her large, expressive eyes.

“I love you, too.” She replied, looking up into his deep, soulful orbs.

Still staring at each other, the bolt of lightning struck the mast. They let out identical screams of pain as it coursed through them and down the length of the building, their pain doubled as they felt what the other felt in addition to their own.

Their eyes closed, they didn't see the swirl of golden energy blend with the cold white of the lightning.

~*~

With Aludra and Martha 

The small group ducked their heads and squeezed their eyes shut, unable to watch as the lightning danced over the scaffolding and to the Pig Slaves gathered in the lift. The creatures let out pained screams as the energy coursed through them in waves far too powerful for their mutated bodies to handle. Aludra gripped Frank and Martha’s hands tightly, trying to keep her mental shields up against the onslaught of pain the poor Pig Slaves were being forced to experience.

Unable to bear the pain, she let out a piercing scream, squeezing her friends’ hands as tightly as she possibly could. She was unaware that she was also feeling the pain her parents were experiencing high above as the lightning surged through them before going down the building.

Finally, after several long seconds, the lightning stopped dancing along the scaffolding and Aludra stopped screaming. Silence filled the air as she sagged against Frank. The young man shot her a worried look as Tallulah and Laszlo opened their eyes and looked to the lift, seeing the Pig Slaves slumped over, dead. Martha shot to her feet and rushed forward, staring at the lifeless creatures in horror.

“You did it, Martha.” Tallulah cheered happily, her arms around Laszlo.

“They used to be like Laszlo.” Martha mumbled, wracked with guilt at what she had done. “They were people and I killed them.”

“No, Martha.” Aludra said softly, walking towards her with Frank’s help. She was slightly weak from the onslaught, though not enough to completely knock her out. “The Daleks did that, long ago. They were dead from the moment they had been abducted.”

Martha didn’t respond but no one called her on it. They knew it would take her some time to come to terms with what she had done, the guilt she felt. Even if the Daleks had destroyed the Pig Slaves lives, they had still been living and breathing beings whose life Martha had ended. It was a very fine line they walked.

“What about the Doctor and Astraea?” Martha asked, remembering the couple who had been at the mast.

“Nana! Ada!” Aludra exclaimed, whipping around and running outside.

Quickly and carefully, Aludra climbed the ladder and the scaffolding with Martha and Frank’s help. The two humans stayed on either side of her as they climbed, wind whipping around them, supporting her since she was still slightly weak but refused to stay behind.

Reaching the top and emerging at the base of the mast, they found the couple on the platform.

The Doctor and Astraea were unconscious, laying on the platform. He had one arm around her while her head rested on his chest, her fingers interlocked with his other hand.

“Nana! Ada!” Aludra cried in alarm, climbing onto the platform and crawling to them, kneeling beside their still forms. She knew they weren’t dead, she would’ve felt it, but that didn’t erase the fear she felt at seeing them so still. She held up the screwdriver Martha had found, smiling playfully. “Look what Martha found on our way up. You are getting increasingly careless with this thing.” Her playful expression faded as worry once more took over. “Wake up, please wake up.”

“Oh, my head.” The Doctor groaned, rubbing his head and blinking blearily.

“Ooh, anyone get the name of that truck that ran me over?” Astraea asked with a moan, sitting up and rubbing her temples.

“Hiya.” Martha said from behind Aludra, holding the Welshwoman in place on the small platform.

“Hi.” The Doctor said with a groan. His eyes flew open and he looked at Aludra, relief seeping out of every pore. “You survived.” He breathed in relief.

“Thank Gods.” Astraea gasped, pulling Aludra into a hug.

The Doctor wrapped his arms around his fiancée and daughter, hugging them tightly in undisguised relief. He reached out behind Aludra and took Martha’s hand, squeezing it gratefully, trying to express without words just how relieved he was to see her as well.

Martha smiled, squeezing his hand in response, reassuring him that she understood what he wasn’t able to express.

Despite her unwillingness to break up the reunion, she knew they had still had things to do. So, with great reluctance, Martha said, “I can’t help noticing there’s Dalekanium still attached.”

Aludra pulled back from the hug and looked at the mast, seeing that Martha was right. The Doctor and Astraea looked at it for a moment before getting to their feet.

“Right.” The Doctor said slowly.

“Come on, no time to waste.” Astraea said, starting to climb down the scaffolding.

The Doctor, Aludra, Martha and Frank followed her back down to the top floor, the descent made in silence. Despite the questions racing through Frank and Martha’s minds, and also Aludra’s, they were more focused on getting to the relative safety of the partially constructed top floor that plying the Doctor and Astraea for answers.

Reaching the top floor, they were met with Laszlo and Tallulah, both of whom expressed relieved sighs at the sight of the groups return.

“Ada, Nana, what are the Daleks going to do?” Aludra asked as they looked out over the city.

“They will have gone straight to a war footing.” Astraea replied, untying her saree from her thighs and letting the dress settle back properly over her legs.

“They’ll be using the sewers, spreading the soldiers out underneath Manhattan.” The Doctor added.

“How do we stop them?” Laszlo asked, his arm around Tallulah as she supported and held him upright.

“There's only one chance.” The Doctor said. “Astraea and I got in the way. That gamma strike went zapping though the two of us first.”

“That explains a lot.” Aludra muttered under her breath as the Doctor and Astraea turned away from the open wall and strode back inside.

“Yeah, but what does that even mean?” Martha asked in confusion, following behind the couple.

“We need to draw fire.” Astraea replied, sitting on a chair and slipping her sandals back on. “Before they can attack New York, the Doctor and I need to face them.”

“Where can we draw them out?” The Doctor muttered, running his hands through his hair. “Think, think, think, think, think. We need some sort of space. Somewhere safe. Somewhere out of the way.”

“Tallulah.” Aludra said, spinning around and looking at the showgirl.

“That’s me.” Tallulah said cheerfully. “Three L’s and an H.”

“The theatre is right above them and it’s gone about midnight.” Aludra said. “Can you get us inside?”

The Doctor and Astraea looked at the showgirl, nodding with their daughter’s question.

“Don’t see why not.” Tallulah said, shrugging.

“Is there another lift?” Astraea asked, valiantly _not_ looking at the main lift occupied by dead Pig Slaves.

“We came up the service elevator.” Martha said, gesturing to the lift in question.

“That’ll do.” The Doctor replied, taking Astraea’s hand and holding it tightly. “Allons-y!”

Martha led them to the service lift, and everyone scrambled inside, the space becoming packed with seven people. Frank pressed the button for their desired floor and the lift gave a jolt before it began its descent.

The trip was made in silence, the Doctor keeping his arms around Astraea and Aludra and holding them close. The two women didn’t fight the hold, happily curling against his chest. They _needed_ to be close, to know that they were together.

When the lift doors opened, Tallulah took the lead and led the group out of the building, down the streets and to the theatre. It was completely dark, the lights all turned off and the air eerily silent.

“This should do it.” The Doctor said, running into the stalls and pulling out his screwdriver. “Here we go!”

He switched it on and began scanning the stalls, the blue tip pulsing and buzzing merrily.

“There ain’t nothing more creepy than a theatre in the dark.” Tallulah muttered, shivering slightly in the cold air of the theatre and holding her dressing gown closed. “Listen, Doctor, I know you and your fiancée have a thing for showtunes, but there's a time and place, huh?” Before either could respond to her, Laszlo sat down heavily on one of the chairs, panting for breath. “Laszlo, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Laszlo replied, shaking his head as she sat down beside him. “It’s just so hot.”

“But… it’s _freezing_ in here.” Tallulah protested in confusion. She looked up at the Time Lord, worry clear on her face. “Doctor, what’s happening to him?”

“Not now, Tallulah.” The Doctor said softly, bringing the screwdriver to his ear and listening to the frequency it was emitting, trying to find the right one. “Sorry.”

Aludra sat on Laszlo’s other side, checking his pulse and heart rate.

“Your heart rate slightly elevated.” Aludra said quietly. “As is your pulse. We need to try and bring down your temperature." She opened her purse and rummaged through it, pulling out a handkerchief and a bottle of water. Wetting the handkerchief, she dabbed it onto Laszlo’s forehead, wiping away the beads of sweat that had gathered there. She looked at Tallulah who was watching her worriedly. “Tallulah, keep wiping his forehead.”

Tallulah nodded and took the handkerchief, using it to wipe her boyfriend’s forehead while Aludra poured some of the water into her cupped hand. She then held the wet hand over Laszlo’s face, letting the cool droplets fall directly onto his face.

“Mmm, that feels good.” Laszlo moaned quietly.

“Are you still feeling hot?” Aludra asked, repeating the process and also rewetting the handkerchief for Tallulah.

“Yeah, but not as much as before.” Laszlo replied honestly.

“What’s he doing?” Martha asked Astraea, both women looking at the Doctor.

"If the Daleks are going to war, they'll want to find their number-one enemies.” Astraea explained. "He's just telling them where we are."

“Wonderful.” Aludra muttered dryly. “We’re bringing them straight to us.”

The Doctor held the screwdriver up in the air, the device beeping merrily.

“She said I’m telling them were _we_ are.” The Doctor said, gesturing between himself and Astraea with his free hand. “You five need to go.”

Aludra looked at her father for a long second before returning to her task of bringing down Laszlo’s temperature.

“Ada, you’ve said a lot of dumb things over the years, but that by far is the dumbest.” The sapphire-eyed Welshwoman said, rolling her eyes. “I don’t know about Martha, she can make her own choices, but I’m not going anywhere without you two. Period!”

“I’m telling you girls to go!” The Doctor snapped, glaring between his daughter and Martha. “Frank can take you back to Hooverville.”

“And we’re telling you we’re not going!” Martha snapped back, meeting his glare with one of her own.

“Honey, a little help!” The Doctor exclaimed, looking at his fiancée helplessly.

“You know our daughter better than anyone.” Astraea said with a shrug, seeming completely unconcerned if it were not for the tightening around her eyes and the slight tension in her posture. “When has she ever gone to safety knowing that we remain behind to fight? When have _any_ of our children done so? And as for Martha, she is old enough to make her own choices. She knows the risks and dangers just as much as Aludra does.”

“Knowing and experiencing are two completely different things!” The Doctor ground out through gritted teeth.

“ _Annwyl.”_ Astraea said softly, putting a gentle hand on his arm. “She’s not Rose. Martha knows and understands far better than Rose did.”

“I can’t lose anyone else.” The Doctor said softly, the tension bleeding away from his body and his shoulders sagging helplessly. “I just… I _can’t_.”

And just like that, Martha realized what had been driving the Doctor’s actions. She stared at the couple with wide eyes before looking questioningly at Aludra in disbelief. The Welshwoman just looked back at her sadly, giving a small, almost imperceptible nod at the silent question.

Rose had found the traveling to be an adventure, just as Martha did. However, where Martha had quickly realized the dangers not long after meeting the trio, Rose didn’t realize until much later when they faced the very real possibility of being stuck in another time period centuries from her own and on a planet many light years away from home. While Rose held an almost naïve belief that the Doctor and Astraea would return her home, Martha was far more realistic in her belief: the medical student knew that there would always be a possibility she wouldn’t return home or if she did, the home she came back to would be different than the one she left.

“Doctor, I promise that if things become dangerous and I have to run in order to be safe, I will.” Martha said softly. “I will even try my best to get Aludra to run with me so that at least your daughter will be safe.”

The Doctor nodded in acceptance, realizing he wouldn’t get anything more from the stubborn woman. Before he could say anything though, the doors on either side of the stalls flew open with a loud crash, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Oh my God!” Tallulah gasped, her body tense as she shot to her feet. Taking a breath and calming her racing heart, she helped Laszlo to his feet, supporting his trembling frame. “Well, I guess that’s them, then, huh?”

The converted humans, pale and stiff, marched inside in rows from both sides, effectively trapping the small group with nowhere to go. They each held a gun modeled after the Dalek’s lasers, aimed at the group.

“Humans… with Dalek DNA.” Martha said quietly, swallowing thickly.

Frank took a step forward, his anger clear on his face but the Doctor put a gentle hand on his shoulder, holding him back.

“It’s alright.” The Time Lord said calmly. “Just stay calm.”

“Don’t antagonize them.” Astraea said, shooting a pointed look at her fiancé.

“But what about the Dalek masters?” Laszlo asked, looking around and only seeing the Human-Daleks. “Where are they?”

As though in response to his words, a small explosion erupted on the stage, forcing them to duck behind the seats for cover. The Doctor, Astraea and Aludra peaked over the backrests to see Dalek Thay and Dalek Jast glide into sight. To their horror, Dalek Sec was chained between them and forced to crawl across the wooden floor of the stage.

“Oh, my Gods.” Aludra breathed in horror, her eyes shining with tears she refused to allow fall.

Martha reached out and took her hand as the Doctor and Astraea slowly straightened up, hand-in-hand. The rest followed suit, Tallulah supporting Laszlo while Martha kept hold of Aludra’s hand.

 _“The Doctor, his Soul-Bonded and their daughter will stand before the Daleks.”_ Dalek Jast ordered. The Doctor, Astraea and Aludra exchanged looks before hopping onto the seats, the Time Lord walking along the backs while the two women gracefully walked along the armrests. They stopped in the front row, staring at the Daleks with undisguised fury and hatred shining in their eyes. _“You will die, Doctor, as will your Soul Bonded and your daughter, at the beginning of a new age.”_

 _“Planet Earth will become New Skaro!”_ Dalek Thay added.

“Oh, and what a world _that_ would be.” Aludra said sarcastically.

“Yes, with anything even the slightest bit different ground into the dirt.” Astraea added, continuing her daughter’s thought though without the sarcasm.

“That’s Dalek Sec.” The Doctor said, gesturing to the chained Human-Dalek between Dalek Jast and Dalek Thay. “Don't you remember? The cleverest Dalek ever and look what you've done to him.”

“Is _that_ your new Empire?” Astraea asked. “Is _that_ the foundation for a whole new civilization?”

 _“My Daleks…”_ Dalek Sec said breathlessly, straightening up slightly so that he was sitting on his legs. _“Just understand this – if you choose death and destruction… then death and destruction will choose you.”_

 _“Incorrect!"_ Dalek Thay replied. _“We will always survive!”_

 _“Now we will destroy our greatest enemies – the Doctor and Bad Wolf, and their daughter Aludra.”_ Dalek Jast said.

The Doctor took Astraea’s hand and held it tightly, both shifting so that they were in front of Aludra. Behind them, Martha, who had inched forward unnoticed, tugged the sapphire-eyed Welshwoman down from where she had been standing and ducked behind the seats.

 _“But they can_ help _you!”_ Dalek Sec shouted in protest.

 _“The Doctor, Bad Wolf and Aludra must die.”_ Dalek Jast said determinedly.

The Doctor and Astraea discretely glanced behind them and saw Martha holding Aludra down under the cover of the seat. Feeling a measure of relief that at least their daughter was safe for the moment, and that Martha was making true on the promise she had made as best she could, the couple straightened their shoulders and glared at Dalek Thay and Dalek Jast, listening as Dalek Sec pleaded with his brothers.

 _“No!”_ Dalek Sec shouted pleadingly, crawling in front of Dalek Jast. _“I_ beg _you,_ don’t _!”_

 _“Exterminate!”_ Dalek Jast commanded, aiming his laser at the Doctor and Astraea.

Just as the laser fired, Dalek Sec shot to his feet, taking the hit that was meant for the two Time Lords and saving their lives in the process. He screamed in agony; his body silhouetted in the sickly blue-green color that revealed his skeleton single eye-socket. For several seconds, the only sound was his screams until he shuddered and fell in a sprawled heap on the stage. Motionless. Lifeless.

Astraea gasped in horror, her eyes filling with tears at the senseless death of the Human-Dalek who had changed and grown. Behind her, Aludra clamped her hand over her mouth to prevent her scream from being heard, shuddering in Martha’s embrace as the medical student soothingly rubbed her back.

The Doctor meanwhile glared at the remaining Daleks, a surge of hatred for his greatest enemies coursing through him.

“Your own leader.” He hissed venomously, shaking his head. “The only creature who might have led you out of the darkness and you destroyed him!”

“Do you see what they did?” Aludra asked, rising to her feet and looking at the Human-Daleks on either side of the stalls. “Do you see what a Dalek really is?”

“If Astraea and I are going to die, let’s give the new boys a shot.” The Doctor said, glaring at the Daleks.

 _“_ Warning: Dalek Humans show increased levels of serotonin. _”_ Dalek Caan’s voice filtered through the comms.

“What do you think, my love?” The Doctor asked, looking at Astraea, expressing in his gaze what he intended, and she silently took his hand in response. “The Dalek-Humans; their first blood.”

“Go on!” Astraea said, turning to the Daleks and glaring at them with unbridled hate and anger. “Baptize them!”

 _“Dalek Humans, take aim at the Doctor and Bad Wolf.”_ Dalek Jast ordered.

The Human-Daleks did as they were ordered, aiming their guns at the Time Lords. Tallulah tightened her hold around Laszlo as he did the same while Frank inched towards them and wrapped his arms around them both. The Tennessee native was tense, his body coiled but he remained where he was, protectively curled around Tallulah and Laszlo.

“What are you waiting for?” The Doctor taunted in a move so similar to what he had done in Hooverville only a few hours earlier.

“Give the command!” Astraea added daringly.

Aludra looked between her parents for a moment before looking at Martha. The medical student was watching with wide eyes, an expression of fear and terror on her face. Aludra took her hand and gave her a small reassuring smile, telling her without words that the Doctor and Astraea had a plan. What that plan was and how it would play out was anyone’s guess, but the Time Lords would see it through and keep them safe as much as they possibly could.

 _“Exterminate!”_ Dalek Jast ordered.

The Doctor and Astraea tensed as did the rest of the group, Martha and Aludra turning their heads away so they wouldn’t have to see. Aludra peeked out from Martha’s arms when nothing happened, seeing her parents still standing on the stalls, still _breathing_ , while the Human-Daleks remained frozen in place.

 _“Exterminate!”_ Dalek Jast repeated.

Again, nothing happened.

 _“Obey!”_ Dalek Thay commanded _. “Dalek-Humans will obey!”_

“Nothing’s happening.” Aludra pointed out in confusion, looking between the Human-Daleks and her parents.

“Why aren’t they firing?” Martha asked, frowning.

“Ada, what did you two do?” Aludra asked, looking at her parents.

 _“You will obey!”_ Dalek Thay ordered, looking at the Human-Daleks. _“Exterminate!”_

“Why?” The converted foreman asked, his expression blank.

Aludra’s jaw dropped and she stared at him in disbelief, scarcely believing what she had heard.

 _“Daleks do not question orders!”_ Dalek Jast said, a pitch in his voice that was akin to indignant shouting.

“But... why?” The foreman asked.

_“You will stop this!”_

"But…why?"

_"You must not question!"_

"But you are not our master.” The foreman argued. “And we…we are not Daleks."

“No, you are not.” Astraea agreed, smiling softly. “And you never will be.”

“You two got in the way of the lightning strike!” Aludra exclaimed in realization, her face bright with stunned amazement.

“I’m sorry, what just happened?” Tallulah asked, looking completely confused.

“Time Lord DNA got all mixed up.” The Doctor explained, though he looked at the Daleks with a small grin on his face. “Just that little bit of freedom.”

 _“If they will not obey… then they must die.”_ Dalek Thay said, shooting the foreman.

“Get down!” The Doctor shouted, he and Astraea leaping off the back of the seat and ducking down for cover.

He curled around Astraea protectively while Frank curled around Tallulah and Laszlo and Martha curled around Aludra. Around them, the Human-Daleks fired at the Daleks.

 _“Exterminate!”_ Dalek Thay shouted as he fired his laser at the Human-Daleks.

Screams pierced through the sounds of laser fire as the converted humans were killed one after another. Still, those that remained standing refused to give up, continuing to fire on their former masters.

 _“Exterminate! Exterminate!”_ Dalek Jast shouted.

 _“_ Destroy the hybrids! _”_ Dalek Caan ordered. _“_ Destroy! _”_

An explosion rocked the theatre as Dalek Thay was blown apart, pieces of his shell casing flying in all directions.

 _“Extermin-”_ Dalek Jast began to shout before he was cut off, getting blown apart as well.

The sounds of laser fire stopped, and silence fell over the theatre. Slowly, the group peeked out from behind the seats and eyed the lifeless Human-Dalek bodies sadly and the destroyed Daleks with trepidation.

“It’s all right.” The Doctor said reassuringly, getting to his feet and moving towards the converted humans. He gently pushed the guns down so that they were aimed at the ground, Astraea mirroring his movements. “It’s all right.”

“You did it.” Astraea said with a soft smile. “You’re free.”

 _“_ The Dalek Humans are failures! _”_ Dalek Caan cried, heard through the still intact comms connected to the destroyed Daleks’ casings. _“_ Destruct! Destruct! _”_

The Doctor and Astraea looked at the Human-Daleks in shock and horror, knowing they were helpless to stop the inevitable genocide. Both felt a wave of despair fill them, despair and guilt, because they _should have_ anticipated the Daleks having a back up plan, a failsafe, because they would rather kill their creations than let them live if they proved to be failures. But to their surprise, the converted humans stood there, completely unaffected by what was supposed to be the failsafe that killed them.

“What?” The Doctor breathed, stunned. Astraea just gaped, open mouthed, at the Human-Daleks, all capacity of speech temporarily eluding her.

“Um, not that I’m complaining or anything, but why isn’t anything happening?” Frank asked, looking completely confused.

 _“_ What is this treachery?! _”_ Dalek Caan shouted, just as shocked as the Doctor and Astraea.

“What?” The Doctor repeated, unable to come up with anything else to say.

 _“_ DESTRUCT! _”_ Dalek Caan shouted.

“I think I know what happened.” Aludra said, realization dawning on her face as she looked at Astraea.

“What?” The Doctor repeated, looking at Aludra in shock.

“The lightning went through _Nana_ as well.” Aludra said as though it explained everything. Unfortunately, the Doctor and Astraea didn’t find it so easy to understand, staring at their daughter in confusion. Sighing, Aludra said, “Nana, you are not only part Chosen One with the power of the Mara, but you have the Vortex running through you as well.”

“Oh, my Gods.” Astraea breathed in realization, looking at the Human-Daleks in amazement.

“Oh, Rassilon.” The Doctor breathed, just as stunned as his fiancée. “That’s incredible.”

“What is it?” Martha asked, looking between the stunned couple. The remaining Human-Daleks also looked at them, confused. “What happened?”

“The power of the Vortex and the Mara, combined with Time Lord DNA severed the tie the Daleks had to you.” Astraea explained, looking at the converted humans. “You are truly, completely _free_.”

“That’s amazing!” Tallulah exclaimed, letting out a laugh.

“We’re… free?” One of the humans asked hesitantly.

“Yes, sweetheart, completely free.” Aludra said, laughing lightly.

Without warning, the Human-Dalek dropped his gun and pulled Aludra into a tight hug. He spun her around, causing her to let a peel of delighted laughter as his own chuckles filled the air. His actions were mirrored by the other converted humans who pulled the Doctor and Astraea into tight hugs as well as Martha, Frank, Tallulah and even Laszlo, joyful laughter filling the air.

Down in the sewers below, the hundreds of Human-Daleks rejoiced at their new-found freedom. They knew, through the comms that connected them to each other, that it had been the strangers the Daleks feared and hated who were behind it and they each sent up a prayer of thanks to all the deities they believed in, as well as a blessing for each of those that had a hand in their freedom. Never would any of them forget what these strangers had done for them, and every day, they would send a prayer of thanks and a blessing for each of them, wherever they may be.

The Doctor eventually extracted Astraea from the embrace of a Human-Dalek and wrapping his own arms around her. Aludra noticed the movement as well as her father’s expression and snickered, drawing the others’ attention as well.

The Time Lord was on a razor’s edge with everything that had occurred, and he was not happy at his Soul Bonded being in the arms of another, not even someone whom they had saved only a short while earlier. No, he was not happy. _At all_.

“Wait, only _two_ of the Dalek masters have been destroyed.” Laszlo said, cutting through the snickers. “One of the Dalek masters must still be alive.”

“Oh yes.” The Doctor said, nodding grimly and resting his chin on Astraea’s head.

“Just one, in the entire Universe.” Astraea agreed, leaning into her fiancé’s embrace.

“Somehow, the Universe doesn’t seem so big anymore.” Aludra said, leaning against her father as he put his arm around her. “With our luck, it won’t be long before we come across him again.”

“When we do, it’ll be together.” The Doctor said, looking between his daughter and his fiancée.

“Always.” Aludra and Astraea said in unison. “And forever.”

Martha smiled softly and turned her attention back to the converted humans, accepting a hug that she returned wholeheartedly. There was a part of her that felt a pang of sorrow that she wouldn’t be able to be part of the ‘forever’ but a bigger part of her was happy for the small family. It seemed to her that they were finally starting to heal and move on from their losses. They still had a long way to go, without a doubt, but at least they had taken the first steps. Here on out, they could only go forwards.

Seeing everyone preoccupied with their rejoicing, the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra quietly slipped out of the theatre. There was something they still needed to do.

The three returned to the lab in silence, the Doctor with his arms around Aludra and Astraea. All they could think of was how close the Human-Daleks came to being killed, to being victims of genocide. Entering the subterranean cavern beneath the Empire State Building, they found the last Dalek in existence, connected to several cables.

“Now what?” The Doctor asked tiredly.

 _“You will be exterminated!”_ The Dalek replied.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.” The Doctor said dryly, exhaustion giving way for irritation. “Just think about it, Dalek what was your name?”

_“Dalek Caan.”_

“Dalek Caan.” The Doctor repeated, putting his hands in his pockets and walking forward slowly. “Your entire species has been wiped out. And now the Cult of Skaro has been eradicated. Leaving only you. Right now, you should consider yourself lucky that I’m showing you any compassion at all after all the death and devastation your kind caused.” Angling himself so that he was in front of Astraea and Aludra, his voice became hard as he continued, “ _Especially_ after you threatened my _Soul Bonded_ and our _daughter_.” His eyes darkened as he unwittingly remembered Astraea and Aludra being threatened in the theatre, how close he had come to losing them if his plan hadn’t worked. Astraea and Aludra stepped up behind him, each putting a gentle hand on his shoulders in quiet reassurance that they were still there, very much alive. He took a breath and looked at Dalek Caan, drawing strength from his loved ones. “Caan… let us help you. What do you say?”

 _“Emergency Temporal Shift!”_ Dalek Caan cried.

The Dalek shuddered before disappearing in a flash of light, leaving the cables hanging. The Doctor charged forward with a scream, but it was too late, Dalek Caan was gone.

“Doctor!” Martha cried frantically, she and Tallulah half supporting, half dragging Laszlo into the lab. The Pig Slave was wheezing, unable to breathe. “Astraea! He’s sick. It’s okay.” She crooned gently, lowering him to the ground as the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra approached. “You’re all right.” She turned to the Time Lords, explaining, “It's his heart. It's racing like mad. I've never seen anything like it.”

“What is it, Doctor?” Tallulah asked frantically, worry etched across her fair, made up features. “What's the matter with him? He says he can't breathe! What is it?

“It’s time, sweetheart.” Laszlo rasped.

“What do you mean, time? What are you talking about?” Tallulah asked, cradling him by the shoulders.

“None of the slaves… survive for long. Most of them… only live a few weeks.” Laszlo replied breathlessly. The Doctor crouched beside the young couple, lacing his fingers together and resting his chin on his hands. On either side of him, Astraea and Aludra mirrored his position and all three gazed at them intently. “I was lucky. I held on ‘cause I had you. But now… I’m dying, Tallulah.”

“No, you’re not!” Tallulah cried, sobbing. “Not now, not after all this!” She looked at the Time Lords, pleading and desperate. “Doctor, Astraea, can’t you do something?”

The Doctor, Astraea and Aludra lifted their heads. Their eyes, so different in color, were each filled with earnest sorrow, a liquid sheen to the orbs as they fought back their tears.

“Oh, Tallulah with 3 Ls and an H…” The Doctor whispered, his voice cracking. “Just you watch us.” The Doctor shot to his feet, followed by Aludra. “What do we need?” He shrugged off his coat and tossed it to Astraea who caught it and carefully folded it over a nearby chair, shooting him an irritated glare which he ignored. “Oh, I don’t know. How about a great big genetic laboratory?”

Astraea turned back to Laszlo, letting the power of the Vortex become visible along her skin and gather at her hands. She placed one glowing hand on his head and the other on his heart, trying to buy time for her fiancé and daughter to come up with a more permanent solution.

“Oh, look, we’ve got one.” Aludra chirped, tying her hair back into a knot behind her head. “Laszlo, just hold on.” She wheeled a cart over and grabbing several beakers, mixing a solution too fast for the humans to keep up. “There's been too many deaths today. Way too many people have died.”

“Brand new creatures and wise old men and age-old enemies.” The Doctor continued, grabbing a syringe and dispensing its contents into a beaker Aludra held out to him.  “And I'm telling you, I'm telling you right now, we are not having one more death! You got that? Not one!” He tossed his screwdriver to Aludra and she flicked it on, firing up the burner beneath the beaker. Meanwhile, he turned to Tallulah who was watching with wide eyes and pulled out his stethoscope. “Tallulah, out of the way. The Doctor is in.”

Astraea moved back and let him take her place, staying close with the Vortex energy swirling in her palms, ready to retake her position.

~*~

Dawn broke over New York, bathing the city with its beautiful golden rays and bringing along a fresh, cool breeze. After the long all-nighter pulled by the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra as they frantically worked to save Laszlo, the small group were in Central Park, waiting for Frank to return with a verdict from Hooverville.

Laszlo was nearly back to how he was, now more human than pig. Unfortunately, the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra hadn’t been able to completely revert him back to human so he retained a few pig-like attributes like a flatter, upturned nose, pointed ears and the occasional squeal that would slip out when he became excited.

At one point during the night, while the Doctor and Aludra had been administering the various cocktails to Laszlo, Astraea had taken the Human-Daleks and transported them to another, habitable world. At the questions she received about the relocation, she gently explained that as much as she would want them to be reunited with their families and loved ones, they couldn’t take the chance that it would change the course of human progression. While most didn’t entirely understand what she meant, they knew enough after what they had experienced to accept that she was trying to protect them, and the humans, from any possible backlash that could occur. The planet she had taken them to was devoid of any sentient life aside from the local flora and fauna, allowing the Human-Daleks to create their own civilization, free from the Daleks. Before leaving, she promised to visit once in a while, if not in their lifetimes, then in their descendants’ lifetimes, and lend a helping hand whenever it was needed. She also left a mobile phone with her number, as well as Aludra’s number, preprogramed into it, explaining its uses and function to the curious group.

“Well, I talked to them, and I told them what Solomon would’ve said.” Frank said as he rejoined the small group. “And I reckon I shamed one or two of them.”

“What did they say?” The Doctor asked.

“They said yes.” Frank replied, smiling. Laszlo and Tallulah let out gasps of relief, hugging each other tightly as Frank continued, “They’ll give you a home, Laszlo.” He scratched his chin thoughtfully, eyeing the changes in the man. “I mean, uh… don’t imagine people ain’t going to stare. I can’t promise you’ll be at peace but, in the end, that is what Hooverville is for – people who ain’t got nowhere else.”

“Thank you.” Laszlo said sincerely. “I-I can’t thank you enough.”

Frank smiled brightly as Tallulah hugged Laszlo again. Aludra let out a cheer, grabbing Martha’s hands and spinning around happily. Her actions had Frank laughing lightly as the Doctor and Astraea watched with fond expressions on their faces, their arms around each other.

“You know.” Aludra said, letting go of Martha and putting a hand on Frank’s shoulder, squeezing gently. “Solomon would be very proud of you.”

“You think so?” Frank asked nervously.

“I _know_ so.” Aludra said, winking at him with a glimmer in her large eyes that was between mischievous and mysterious.

“Come on, girls.” Astraea said. “It’s time to go.”

Martha nodded and hugged Tallulah, Laszlo and Frank one last time before moving to stand by the couple.

Good luck, all of you.” Aludra said, taking her turn to hug Frank, Laszlo and Tallulah.

“Same to you.” Frank said, smiling at her.

“Thank you again, for what you did for us.” Laszlo said.

Aludra grinned brightly and spin on her heel, walking up to Martha and looping her arm through the Londoner’s. The four travelers waved one last time and began walking, heading back to where the TARDIS was parked.

As he watched them go, Frank looked at Aludra’s retreating back, seeing the way the sun glinted off her raven black hair and her sapphire eyes sparkled in the light. Without a doubt, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever met. To him, she was more beautiful than Astraea, even though the two were nearly identical in appearance.

“Do you reckon it's going to work, those two?” Martha asked curiously as they walked up to the TARDIS.

“I think so.” Astraea said. “Tallulah had wanted him even when he was a pig man, she’s bound to keep him now.”

“New York.” The Doctor said with a laugh. “That's what this city's good at. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, and maybe the odd Pig-Slave-Dalek-Mutant-Hybrid-turned-Human too.”

“The former pig and the showgirl.” Martha said with a light laugh.

“Oh no.” Aludra said, shaking her head. “It’s definitely the showgirl and the former pig.”

“Just proves it, I suppose.” Martha said with a grin. “There’s someone for everyone.”

“Yes, there is.” The Doctor agreed, wrapping his arm around Astraea’s waist.

“Meant to say… sorry.” Martha said quietly, losing all playfulness.

“What for?” Aludra asked curiously as they reached the TARDIS door.

“Just ‘cause that Dalek got away.” Martha explained softly. “I know what that means to you three. Think you’ll ever see it again?”

“With our luck? Oh, yes.” The Doctor said, unlocking the door and holding it open for the girls to enter.

“One day.” Astraea said, taking his hand and following Martha and Aludra inside.  



	7. Interlude - Conversations

** Interlude - Conversations **

Inside, Idris ran her customary scans over the group, bathing them with a gentle gold light. As she always did, Aludra pulled out her mobile and texted Adam, curling up in a coral pillar and slipping her shoes off as she waited for a response.

“Astraea?” Martha asked curiously, sitting on the jump seat and looking at the Time Lady.

“Hmm?” Astraea asked, fiddling with the controls and sending them into the Vortex.

“I was curious to know… how did the Doctor survive your death in the Time War?” She asked, hesitation at the possibility of bringing up a painful topic clear in her voice. Astraea, Aludra and the Doctor froze, all three staring at her with unreadable expressions. “If it’s too difficult, you don’t have to tell me.” Martha added hurriedly, not wanting to cause any more pain to the already grieving family.

“Actually, I was wondering that too.” Aludra admitted, turning her attention to her parents. “The Bond should have caused Ada to die as well.”

Astraea took a breath and looked at the Doctor. They both knew it was time to tell their daughter the one thing they had previously refused to.

“When the Dalek fired its weapon at me, I did the one thing that we were all taught to _never_ do.” Astraea said quietly, her eyes haunted with the memory of her actions. “The one thing I swore in my Vows to _never_ do.”

The Doctor wrapped his arms around her, comforting her and letting her draw on his strength. He knew how much her action had weighed on her, and despite all his reassurances that he understood why she did it and would never hold it against her, she still carried the guilt in her heart.

Aludra’s eyes widened, realizing what her mother was talking about. It was the same thing she had sworn to never do in her own Vows to Adam.

“What was it?” Martha asked softly, now looking hesitant to even wanting to know the answer.

“In the seconds before the laser could hit me, I blocked the Bond on my side.” Astraea said quietly, tears filling her eyes.

Aludra gaped in shock at the confirmation, staring at her mother in stunned disbelief. Unable to look at her daughter, or even her fiancé, Astraea instead looked at the grated floor beneath her bare feet.

“Because it was only blocked on her side, I wasn’t able to sense that she had been reincarnated.” The Doctor continued, holding Astraea comfortingly. “It’s also why it had to be her choice to re-establish and complete the Bond after she awoke once more as a Time Lady.”

“Nana, you did it to save Ada.” Aludra said softly, understandingly. She dropped down from her perch and walked up to Astraea, using a gentle hand to make her mother look at her. “When you made your Vows, all those centuries ago, you never could have imagined that you would face a situation like the one you did during the War.”

Astraea nodded but it was clear that while she understood on a conscious level, it would take some time before she could forgive herself for breaking her Vow.

“I don’t understand. You did it to save your husband from dying.” Martha said, frowning in confusion. “Why does it make you feel so guilty?”

“It is the closest a Bonded pair can come to separating.” The Doctor explained. “It is a pain unlike any other; blocking the Bond can lead to its severance, leading both parties to an agonizing death.”

“It isn’t the fact that I had done it that terrifies me.” Astraea admitted. “It’s the knowing that if I had done it incorrectly, I could have killed us both. If it had gone wrong, my attempts to save him would have been futile and he would have died a death far worse than ‘Death by Dalek’.”

Martha could only stare in stunned silence. What could she say to the woman?

Idris hummed gently at the back of their minds, singing a gentle song of comfort and reassurance. Completing her scans, she discovered a change in Aludra that surprised her. Before she could say anything, the sound of a mobile ringing to the tune of ‘Claire de Lune’ filled the air, breaking through the timeless song.

“Oh, that’s me.” Aludra said, kissing Astraea’s cheek quickly before running to grab her phone. She picked it and answered it with a crisp, “Jones.”

At the bright smile that crossed her face when she heard the voice on the other end, the Doctor and Astraea looked at each other and grinned knowingly.

“Adam.” They said in unison, the only man who could make their daughter smile like that.

Martha giggled and leaned back in the Jump seat. She was happy that the small family had told her about their past, as painful as it was to hear. In that moment, she made a vow of her own – she would do everything in her power to help them heal from the trauma of losing their family, friends and loved ones.


	8. The Lazarus Experiment

_ Note: Within the series, it’s April 29, 2008. _

**The Lazarus Experiment**

Martha clutched the console as the Doctor and Astraea ran around it, fiddling with the controls while they hurtled through the Vortex. Aludra contently perched in a coral, one arm around the pillar to keep herself steady while the other held her mobile, her gaze trained on the device as she texted Adam.

All four were still dressed in the clothes they had worn in 1931, though the Doctor had his tie loosened while Aludra and Astraea untied the ribbons in their hair. Martha had removed her jacket, letting it rest over the back of the jump seat while they had drifted aimlessly in the Vortex over the past couple of hours.

The Doctor stopped beside Martha and reached over to push a lever when Astraea grabbed it and pushed it down. He grinned brightly at her as the TARDIS quieted around them.

“There we go.” He said, putting on the handbrake. Aludra looked up from her mobile and jumped down from her perch, landing gracefully on silent feet. “Perfect landing. Which isn’t easy in such a tight spot.”

“You should be used to tight spots by now.” Martha sassed, grinning at the Time Lord.

Astraea and Aludra laughed at the comment and at the Doctor’s putout expression. Martha smiled softly at the sound of laughter, remembering the painful revelation she had been told only a few hours earlier. It was obvious that the pain lingered, but she was happy that the small family found strength with each other. As much as she wanted her own family to have the kind of closeness that the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra had, Martha knew that it was mostly stemmed from a very painful experience. And so, despite that desire of hers, she would rather have her dysfunctional family that could barely get along long enough to have a meal over the closeness that came from experiencing and surviving horrors that could bring even the toughest of men to their knees.

“Where are we?” Martha asked eagerly, pushing her somber thoughts aside and grabbing her jacket.

“The end of the line.” Astraea said, grabbing her amethyst purple purse.

“No place like it.” The Doctor said, wrapping his arm around Astraea’s waist.

Martha grinned eagerly, slipping her jacket on and walking to the door. She stepped outside and stopped, staring in dismay at where they had landed.

It was a sitting room of a small yet cozy flat, the TARDIS parked in a corner next to a clothes rack.

“Home?” Martha said, looking around her flat in dismay. The Doctor, Astraea and Aludra stepped out behind her. “You took me home?”

“Back to the morning after we left.” The Doctor said. “So, you’ve only been gone about 12 hours. No time at all, really!”

“And this time it actually  _ is _ 12 hours.” Astraea said dryly, checking her mobile time and date stamp with the corresponding stamp on a clock that sat on the computer table.

“But all the stuff we’ve done?” Martha asked in confusion, missing the Time Lady’s dry comment. “Shakespeare, New New York, Old New York!”

“In just one night.” Aludra said cheerfully as the Doctor poked around, peering at the photos on display. “Relatively speaking, obviously.”

“Everything should be just as it was.” The Doctor said, turning to look at her. “Books, CDs…” He picked up a pair of knickers from the clothing rack, dangling it from his finger. “Laundry…” Martha reached out and grabbed the article of clothing, hurriedly bunching it into a ball as Astraea smacked him over the head. “OW! What was that for?”

“Really, Ada. You do not dangle a lady’s underwear like that.” Aludra said, shaking her head at him.

“Right.” The Doctor muttered, rubbing his head. He looked back at Martha, the young woman looking despondent. “So, back where you were. As we promised.”

“This is it?” Martha asked sadly.

“Yeah.” The Doctor said, nodding. “We should probably, um…”

The phone rang, interrupting him.

_ ‘Hi, I’m out. Leave a message.’ _ Martha’s cheerful voice said on the answering machine.

“I’m sorry.” Martha said apologetically, looking slightly embarrassed at their goodbye being interrupted.

The machine beeped, signaling that there was an incoming call.

_ “Martha? Are you there?”  _ A female voice called, the sound filling the room.  _ “Pick it up, will you?” _

“It’s Mum.” Martha said shrugging. “It’ll wait.”

_ “Alright then, pretend that you’re out, if you like.”  _ Her mother said, as though knowing what her daughter had said.

“She certainly knows you.” Aludra chirped, giggling lightly.

“It’s a mother’s job to know.” Astraea said, smiling at her daughter.

_ “I was only calling to say that your sister's on TV. On the news of all things! Just thought you might be interested.” _ Mrs. Jones said before cutting the line.

Martha gasped in surprise, grabbing the remote and turning on the TV. On the screen, an old man dressed in a well-tailored and expensive three-piece suit. Next to him was Martha’s sister, dressed smartly in a sharp suit of her own.

_ “The details are top secret.” _ The man said.

“How could Tish end up on the news?” Martha asked softly, an undercurrent of worry in her voice.

“I’m sure if it was something serious, your mother would have mentioned it in her message.” Astraea said soothingly. “And she would have probably been a lot more frantic.”

Martha nodded, feeling somewhat reassured by the Time Lady’s words. The four of them turned back to the newscast, watching the announcement.

_ “But I can tell you that, tonight, I will demonstrate a device which will redefine our world.” _

“She’s got a new job.” Martha explained thoughtfully. “PR for some research lab.”

“That’s Professor Lazarus.” Aludra said, pointing to the elderly man. “He owns a research lab, Lazarus Laboratories.”

“That’s the one.” Martha said, in reference to the lab she had been referring to.

_ “With the push of a single button, I will change what it means to be human!” _ Lazarus declared.

The Doctor and Astraea looked at the screen thoughtfully while Aludra looked at her mobile, going through her message log of her most recent texts with Adam. Something about Lazarus reminded her of something, something to do with the party Adam had asked her to attend with him that night.

_ “Professor! Professor!” _ A reporter called, clamoring for the man’s attention.

“Sorry.” Martha said, putting the TV on standby and turning to them “You were saying… We should…?”

“Yes, yes, we should.” The Doctor said, nodding, turning to look at the young woman who had formed a fast friendship with his daughter. “One trip is what we said.”

“Yeah.” Martha said, sighing softly. “I suppose things just kind of… escalated.”

“That happens to us a lot.” Aludra said exasperatedly.

“Thank you.” Martha said sincerely, reaching out and hugging Aludra and Astraea in turn. “For everything.”

“It was our pleasure.” The Doctor said with a smile, taking his turn to hug the young woman.

“Can you give me your number?” Aludra asked, holding out her mobile. “We can keep in contact just like I keep in touch with Adam while I’m travelling.”

“I’d like that.” Martha said with a smile. She rattled off her number as Aludra entered it into her contact list, saving it with a profile photo of Martha that had been taken in Old New York.

“Okay, come on.” Astraea said gently. “We still have to get you home; you have that party to attend with Adam tonight.”

 “Yeah.” Aludra said, tucking away her mobile. Smiling at Martha, she stepped into the TARDIS with Astraea, saying, “It’s the one Professor Lazarus is holding tonight.”

“Really?” The Doctor asked in mild surprise.

That was the last thing Martha heard as the TARDIS door closed and the blue box dematerialized with its customary groaning, wheezing and whooshing. She closed her eyes, valiantly trying to fight back the tears. Her only consolation was that she at least made a dear friend that she could keep in contact with as she tried to readjust to ordinary life. Opening her eyes, she took a breath and wiped away the few tears that fell, accepting what the Doctor had said when she had first entered the TARDIS - he would rather it was just family.

Just as the memory crossed her mind, the sound of the TARDIS filled the flat once more, a gentle breeze blowing through her hair. The blue box materialized once again where it had been and the Doctor opened the door, sticking his head out.

“No, I’m sorry.” He said, shaking his head. “Did he say he was going to change what it meant to be human?”

“Yes.” Martha said slowly, nodding.

“Told you.” Aludra sang, slipping out of the TARDIS from under the Doctor’s arm. She looked at Martha, grinning brightly. “Ada refused to believe it when I had told him what Lazarus had said.”

Martha laughed, her earlier sadness vanishing like sand on the wind.

~*~

Later that night, the Doctor, Astraea, Martha, Aludra and Adam walked the short distance to Lazarus Laboratories, each elegantly dressed in evening attire. The Immortal jack-of-all-trades had met up with them at Martha’s flat, pleasantly surprising the medical student who recognized him as her Anatomy and Physiology professor from her first year in medical school.

The Doctor and Adam were both dressed in black tuxes. The Time Lord had his hair gelled and in his usual array of spiky strands, though slightly tamer than usual. He had his watch on his left wrist and wore his regular white converse on his feet. Adam on the other hand had his hair parted on the side and tucked neatly behind his ears, curling at the nape of his neck. The watch Aludra gave him for Christmas that year was on his left wrist, having not removed it since it had been placed there just like the Doctor, while on his feet were a pair of smart, black dress shoes. He had opted for those saying that, for one thing, he didn’t quite have the Time Lord’s ability to pull of converse with a suit and for another, he had his ‘Adam Pierson’ persona – mild mannered and slightly quirky – to maintain.

Astraea and Aludra were both dressed in similar sarees, though in different colors. Astraea was wearing a pretty pink saree with a blue blouse* with her long hair swept into an elegant bun* at the back of her head. A pink bindi* glimmered between her arched eyebrows and a white and pink diamond jewelry set sparkled in the evening light, the head piece resting against the center parting of her hair. Her additional jewelry included her engagement and Perception Filter rings while on her feet were a pair of pink 5” high heeled sandals*. She had a silver clutch purse*, the flap decorated with tiny pink crystals.

Aludra’s saree was red, though with the same blue blouse as Astraea, her long hair braided back and swept into a curled updo* at the back of her head, a few curled tendrils framing either side of her face. She had a red bindi glimmering between her arched eyebrows and a white and red diamond jewelry set sparkled in the lamplight, the headpiece resting against the center parting of her hair. Her pendant necklace that Adam had gifted her with was tucked into her blouse, only the chain visible against her pale skin and on her feet were a pair of red 5” high heeled sandals. Like her mother, she carried a silver clutch purse, though hers had tiny red crystals decorating the flap.

Mother and daughter both opted to not wear any makeup, aside from black kohl lining their waterline and a light dusting of powder.

Martha wore a dark purple sleeveless dress that reached her knees with a daring yet modest V-neckline. Her hair was straightened and left open, dancing around her shoulders and held back by a glimmering black headband. She wore a pair of small diamond stud earrings and her beaded necklace, while a pair of matching dark purple pumps were on her feet.

Unlike Astraea and Aludra, she applied a touch of make up to her features consisting of smoky eyeshadow, mascara and lip gloss. Privately, she felt that she needed the additional touch when compared to the timeless and effortless radiance the Time Lady and the Chosen One seemed to exude without realizing it, the innocence that continued to shine in their large jewel colored eyes despite the horrors they had witnessed making them look ever more radiant. That thought was briefly heightened when she noticed the Doctor and Adam’s reactions at seeing Astraea and Aludra when the women emerged from the TARDIS after they finished getting ready, having sent the boys to get dressed in the flat (Adam keeping an eye on the Doctor to make sure he didn’t nose about in things he wasn’t supposed to). As soon as she had realized where her thoughts had gone, she quickly pushed it away, eternally grateful that none of them could read her mind, and if they could, they were too preoccupied to catch wind of them. However, she couldn’t completely banish the wistfulness she felt at the desire of having someone look at her the way the two couples in front of her looked at each other. Both men had been struck speechless, managing to completely forget Martha’s presence all together. Similarly, the two women were captivated by the sight of their handsome men dressed so finely and elegantly; it had only been Martha’s gentle reminder of the party that snapped the couples out of their stunned states.

“ _ Annwyl _ , please stop that.” Astraea said exasperatedly, catching her fiancé fiddling with his cuffs for the tenth time in the last three minutes.

“Oh, black tie.” The Doctor muttered, though he stopped the fiddling. “Whenever I wear this, something bad always happens.”

“That was once.” Astraea said, rolling her eyes.

“What had happened?” Adam asked curiously with a small grin playing on his lips, his arm around Aludra’s waist.

“Come here.” Astraea said, taking his wrist and fixing the cuff of his dress shirt, setting it carefully within the blazer sleeve before doing the same with the other one. “It was when we ended up on Pete’s World the first time.” She replied to Adam’s question, glancing at the Immortal briefly.

Adam nodded in understanding while Martha looked confused. She wanted to inquire about the incident but caught the flash of pain in each of her friends’ and her former professor’s eyes and decided against it. If they wanted her to know, they would tell her or she could ask at a later date, when the pain wasn’t quite so fresh in their eyes all of a sudden.

“Anyway, I think it suits you.” Martha said with a smile, eyeing the two men on either end of the row they were walking in, their arms around their fiancée/ girlfriend. “In a ‘James Bond’ kind of way.”

“James Bond?” The Doctor asked defensively, frowning. He paused for a moment before smiling, looking at the medical student curiously. “Really?”

“Must you stroke his ego?” Astraea asked with a mock groan.

“Well, Astraea, that means that  _ you _ are ‘the gorgeous woman’ he has his adventures with.” Adam said, smiling at her.

Astraea rolled her eyes and shook her head, not commenting on the remark.

“Though I don’t think Bond would ever be caught dead in black tie and converse.” Aludra commented dryly, waving at her father’s ensemble. “Anyway, speaking of, remember, Nana and I are going by ‘Seren and Siwan Jones’, and Ada, you’re ‘John Smith’.”

“Got it.” The Doctor said, nodding.

“Understood.” Adam said.

“Why did you need to have covers, again?” Martha asked.

“Well, Adam has his own invite, being Chief of Staff at a prominent London hospital, and I’m his Plus One/ AA.” Aludra explained. “That’s us covered. But Ada can’t be your Plus One if Nana’s here or vice versa, so I went back to two weeks ago with the TARDIS and had him added to the guest list as ‘Dr. John Smith’, a freelance researcher with Nana as his assistant/ translator as well as his fiancée.”

“Translator?” The Doctor asked, frowning.

“Technobabble to English.” Astraea replied dryly.

“Makes sense.” Martha said, nodding in understanding.

The Doctor made a face while Adam laughed, knowing how the Time Lord tended to get whenever he went off on a tangent.

Before the conversation could continue, likely with the Doctor making a valiant attempt at protesting the comment about his technobabble, they reached Lazarus Laboratories and crossed the road. Cameras flashed all around them and shiny cars let out elegantly dressed guests; Adam inconspicuously turned his head to the side, trying to keep the cameras from catching a good picture of him. The Doctor, Astraea and Aludra weren’t so particular, having the option of regeneration or simply using the TARDIS to erase all record of them with an upgraded version of the Bad Wolf virus.

The Laboratories’ main Reception Hall gleamed from the ceiling to the tiled floors, enhanced by the fluorescent lights high above. In the center of the room, drawing most of the attention from the mingling guests was a circular dais. On it stood a man-sized frosted glass chamber with four upright posts in each corner, slightly curved at the top to aim at the chamber.

Aside from the focal point of the device, the party could be classed as any upscale gathering with the string quartet playing beautiful music, the rustling of stunning gowns, champagne bubbling merrily in crystal flutes and artfully crafted hors d’oeuvres.

Aludra and Adam separated from the group and made a casual reconnaissance of their surroundings. Adam focused on finding the entrances, exits, hiding places, fire extinguishers, etc. while Aludra caught snatches of conversations and even contributed to a few before wandering away.

“Oh, look, they’re got nibbles!” The Doctor said cheerfully, grabbing a canape off a passing waiter’s tray. “I love nibbles!”

He stuffed the entire hors d’oeuvre into his mouth, causing Astraea to roll her eyes exasperatedly.

“At least I don’t need to remind him to eat.” She muttered under her breath, pulling a handkerchief from her purse and handing it to her fiancé.

Martha laughed at the comment as Aludra and Adam sidled up to them while the Doctor pouted theatrically. Astraea smiled and pecked him lightly on the lips, pulling away with almost Herculean effort before he could deepen the kiss. The action caused another pout to be aimed at her, but she ignored it, well aware of what would happen if she gave in.

“Basics covered, you two?” She asked, looking at her daughter and Adam.

“Yes.” Adam replied, nodding. “Two entrances and exits with two additional emergency exists. Fire extinguishers in each of the hallways as well as by the security desk and various spots that would make suitable hiding places.”

“You think something’s gonna happen?” Martha asked, her expression crossed between an indulgent grin and a worried frown.

“We’re here. Something’s bound to go wrong.” Adam said cynically.

“It never hurts to be prepared.” Aludra said, rolling her eyes at her boyfriend’s cynicism. “Anyway, I talked to a few people to try and get some information about the party, but it seems that even the guests are in the dark about what’s going to happen.”

Martha nodded, absorbing the information the Welshwoman revealed. She frowned when she felt a tug on her arm, turning to find her sister, dressed elegantly in a black evening gown with her hair done up.

“Hello!” Tish said, smiling brightly.

“Tish!” Martha gasped at seeing her little sister after what had been over a week for her.

“You look great!” Tish said, the two sisters hugging tightly. Pulling apart, the younger Jones’ sister gestured to the room at large. “So, what do you think? Impressive, isn’t it?”

“Very.” Martha replied fervently, nodding.

“And two nights out in a row for you.” Tish remarked. “That’s dangerously close to a social life.”

“If I keep this up, I’ll end up in all the gossip columns.” Martha sassed airily.

“You might, actually. You should keep an eye out for photographers.” Tish said. “And Mum, she's coming too. Even dragging Leo along with her.”

“Leo?” Martha repeated with a raised eyebrow. “In black tie? That I must see!” Tish’s gaze darted to her companions, the Doctor nibbling at some more hors d’oeuvres. “This is the Doctor, by the way, Dr. John Smith and his fiancée/ lab assistant/ translator, Seren Jones.”

“Hello!” The Doctor said cheerfully around a mouthful of food, shaking Tish’s hand enthusiastically.

Aludra wrinkled her nose delicately at the sight of the hors d'oeuvre in her father’s hand, the scent making her stomach churn uncomfortably for some reason.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Astraea said, shaking Tish’s hand as well and rolling her eyes at her fiancé in exasperated fondness.

“Translator?” Tish asked curiously.

“Technobabble to English.” Astraea replied, smiling sweetly and ignoring the pout the Doctor sent her way.

“I see.” Tish said, laughing lightly before turning to Adam and Aludra. “And you must be Dr. Pierson and Dr. Jones.”

“Yes, we are.” Adam said smiling. He had his shoulders hunched ever so lightly and a smile that bordered on shy – his ‘Adam Pierson’ persona: mild-mannered and easily forgettable.

“How do you know Martha?” Tish asked curiously, noticing the comfortable way her sister was standing with the quartet.

“Adam was one of my professors and I met the Doctor, Seren and Siwan at Royal Hope.” Martha said lightly, remembering to use the civilian identities.

“Yes, John was a patient.” Aludra said lightly, smirking at her father. “He once again tried to eat Seren’s cooking and -”

“So, this Lazarus.” The Doctor said, clearing his throat and cutting the younger woman off. “He’s your boss?”

“ _ Professor _ Lazarus, yes.” Tish replied, nodding. She had a small hint of a smile on her face at the by play, realizing where the sapphire-eyed Welshwoman was going with her explanation. “I’m part of his executive staff.”

“She’s in the PR department.” Martha supplied helpfully.

“I’m  _ head _ of the PR department, actually.” Tish corrected proudly.

“You’re joking.” Martha said disbelievingly, eyes wide in shock.

“I put this whole thing together.” Tosh said, nodding at their surroundings.

“That’s quite impressive.” Aludra complimented, knowing from firsthand experience how hard it was to put events together. She had put together her fair share of parties, get togethers and functions not only for Adam in a professional capacity as his AA but had also taken over the responsibility of doing so for Robert and Gina de Valicourt whenever they wanted to hold reunions, balls and weddings.

“Thanks.” Tish said, sensing the sincerity of the compliment.

“So, do you know what the professor's going to be doing tonight?” Astraea asked.

“That looks like it might be a sonic micro-field manipulator.” The Doctor said, nodding to the chamber.

“He’s a science geek.” Tish muttered. “I should have known.”

“All three of them are.” Adam said with mock exasperation, shaking his head.

“Got to get back to work now. I'll catch up with you later.” She said, laughing lightly at the comment, as well as the raised eyebrow look Aludra shot her boyfriend. She walked away, quickly disappearing into the crowd.

“Science geek?” The Doctor repeated in confusion. “What does that mean?”

“It means that the three of you are obsessively enthusiastic about the topic.” Martha said, smirking.

“Ah, nice.” The Doctor said, beaming brightly.

Aludra, Astraea and Martha exchanged looks and giggled. They looked at the chamber, the Time Lords scrutinizing it while Adam and Aludra eyed it nervously. Something about the device set the Immortal and the Chosen One’s nerves on edge, as though it was  _ wrong _ somehow, like it could interfere with the balance and order of nature.

Martha wasn’t sensitive towards the Seen and the Unseen as Adam and Aludra, or even Astraea was (the Time Lady not quite as sensitive since she had reawaken as a Time Lady, her ability to see the passing of time more-or-less balancing the sensitivity out), she knew enough about her friends to know that their current expressions likely meant that trouble wasn’t too far away. She was suddenly regretting wearing heels, even if they were a pair of sensible 3” high pumps.

“Martha!” A voice called out, drawing the medical student’s attention.

She turned around, the Doctor, Astraea, Aludra and Adam turning as well, and saw her mother. It struck Martha in that moment how long it had been since she had seen the woman.

“Mum!” Martha cried, running forward and drawing the older woman into a tight hug.

“Oh, all right!” Mrs. Jones exclaimed in surprise but returned the hug just as fervently. They pulled apart and she looked at her daughter curiously, “What’s the occasion?”

“What do you mean?” Martha asked, belatedly realizing that her action might look strange to her family. She quickly covered by adding, “I’m just pleased to see you, that’s all.”

“You saw me last night.” Mrs. Jones pointed out gently.

“I know. I just… miss you.” Martha said, shrugging. Before her mother could continue the questioning, she turned to her brother, running an appreciative glance over his handsome form. “You’re looking good, Leo.”

“Yeah.” Leo said, chuckling lightly. “If anyone asks me to fetch them a drink, I’ll swing for them.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Mrs. Jones noticed the Doctor, Astraea, Aludra and Adam near her daughter and a seed of suspicion formed in her heart. She glanced at them appraisingly before turning back to her daughter.

“You disappeared last night.” She said, her eyes narrowed.

The Doctor’s lips quirked impishly, and Astraea shot him a warning glare while discretely stepping on his foot with her high heel. He winced and pouted at her, but she ignored it, shooting him a sweet smile.

Aludra and Adam, realizing what Astraea had done had to fight back their laughs, though they couldn’t stop the small, amused smiles that crossed their lips.

Martha smiled innocently at her mother’s questioning and gestured to her friends.

“You remember Dr. Pierson?” She began, gesturing to Adam who smiled. “He was my professor in first year.”

“Mrs. Jones.” Adam said with a polite smile, holding a hand out to the fiercely protective woman.

“Dr. Pierson.” Mrs. Jones responded, shaking the man’s hand briefly. She vaguely remembered the man from a few years earlier, only recognizing him after he had been introduced.

“Hold on, Dr. Pierson who was in love with someone at the hospital he worked at that everyone was aware of except the person he loved?” Leo asked, remembering something that had occurred a few years earlier, during Martha’s first year at school.

Martha had come home one day, frustrated about the behavior of so many of her classmates; they would constantly try to flirt with the man while he was trying to teach them, even though they knew his heart belonged to someone else. She had also been frustrated with the unknown woman who was oblivious to Adam’s feelings.

“That’s the one.” Martha said cheerfully while Aludra groaned exasperatedly.

“Seriously, was I the only one who did not notice?” She asked, blushing lightly in embarrassment.

“Yes.” The Doctor, Astraea and Martha replied in unison, nodding.

Adam laughed and put his arm around her, pressing a loving kiss to her temple.

“And these three showed up on short notice.” Martha continued, her laughter fading as she gestured to the rest. “The Doctor, Seren and Siwan Jones. We met at the hospital.”

Mrs. Jones’ wariness returned when she turned her gaze on the other three.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Jones.” Astraea said, smiling sweetly at the protective woman and shaking her hand, then Leo’s.

“Charmed to meet you.” Aludra said, smiling and shaking their hands in turn as well.

“Doctor what?” Mrs. Jones asked suspiciously, looking at the Time Lord. “Is he a colleague?”

“Smith, Dr. John Smith. I’m actually a researcher.” The Doctor said, grinning charmingly as he shook Leo and Mrs. Jones’ hands in turn. “Lovely to meet you Mrs. Jones. Heard a lot about you.”

“Have you?” Mrs. Jones asked suspiciously. “What have you heard, then?”

“Oh, you know, that you're Martha's mother and.. um…” The Doctor trailed off. “No, actually, that's… that’s about it. We haven't had much time to chat, you know? Been busy.”

“Busy?” Mrs. Jones repeated coldly. “Doing what, exactly?”

Aludra winced while Adam had to clamp his hands over his mouth to stifle his laughter.

“We went to see a Shakespeare play.” Astraea cut in smoothly before her fiancé could open his mouth again. Mrs. Jones’ suspicious glare turned to her, but the Time Lady was completely unfazed, continuing calmly, “Adam had to back out at the last minute and we offered his ticket to Martha. We had met earlier at Royal Hope and she and Siwan became fast friends.”

“Is that right?” Mrs. Jones asked, still suspicious. “What did you see?”

“‘Love’s Labors Lost’.” Martha said, grinning. “It was  _ brilliant. _ And we got a tour backstage afterwards, and a chat with-” she was cut off by a gentle tinkling sound that echoed through the room, someone tapping a wineglass to get everyone’s attention.

Mrs. Jones looked somewhat mollified by her daughter’s response, at least for the moment. She still shot the Doctor and Astraea a suspicious look as everyone turned their attention to the center of the room.

The lights dimmed as an elderly man dressed in an expensive tux stepped up in front of the chamber and looked out at the crowd. A spotlight shone on him, ensuring that all gazes were on him and only him.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I am going to perform a miracle.” Lazarus began. “It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom. The biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon.”

“We should go see the moon landing sometime.” Aludra whispered, nudging her father.

The Doctor nodded, somewhat absently as he wrapped his arm around Astraea’s waist. Aludra turned her attention back to Lazarus, leaning against Adam and covering her mouth when a small yawn escaped her lips; she didn’t know why, but she was feeling incredibly tired, had been for the past few hours in fact.

“Tonight, you will watch and wonder.” Lazarus continued. “But tomorrow, you will wake to a world which will be changed forever.”

The crowd stood with bated breath; the only movement was by the photographers as they took photo after photo. Lazarus carefully entered the chamber, closing the door gently behind him as two female technicians began starting up the machinery that lined one side of the hall. There was a high-pitched whir and a bright blue light began emitting from the pillars. Everyone but the Doctor and Astraea shielded their eyes from the bright light created by the energy field as the pillars began to spin around the chamber, slowly at first and then picking up speed. Suddenly, a warning alarm filled the air, piercing the whirring noise.

“Something’s wrong!” Astraea exclaimed. “It’s overloading!”

The technicians frantically tried to fix the overload and when that failed, they tried to turn the system off completely. However, several panels exploded, sending up a shower of sparks in the air.

“Go!” Adam shouted to the Doctor and Astraea, curled around Aludra protectively.

The Doctor and Astraea ran to the control panels. The Doctor jumped over the desk, aiming the screwdriver at the controls while Astraea ran to the nearest computer and began typing frantically, trying to manually input an override into the system to shut it down.

“Somebody stop them!” An elderly lady dressed in an expensive evening gown, Lazarus partner, Lady Thaw, ordered. “Get them away from the controls!”

“If that thing goes off, it’ll take the entire building with it!” Adam shouted at the woman, effectively preventing anyone from trying to stop the Doctor and Astraea at the same time. “Is that what you want?”

Unable to input an override, Astraea turned to the wires connecting the different panels together. She ran her eyes along one of the larger ones, seeing it connect to the spinning chamber, and pulled at it firmly, yanking it out from the panel.

Slowly, the chamber stopped spinning and the energy field retreated in on itself, the bright light fading as well.

“Get it open!” Aludra shouted as soon as the chamber completely stopped.

Martha and Adam ran to the door and pulled it open while the Doctor vaulted over the desk and ran to the chamber with Astraea beside him.

 A quiet hiss sounded and at first, there was only smoke that could be seen in the chamber. Slowly, Lazarus emerged from the smoke, gripping the doorway tightly and with all signs of aging gone. He looked to be mid-thirties at the most.

Gasps filled the air and the photographers began snapping pictures hurriedly. Lazarus, realizing that his hands were smooth, reached up and touched his face shakily. His eyes widened as he felt the smooth, firm skin beneath his fingertips and staggered out of the chamber completely.

“Ladies and gentlemen.” Lazarus began, looking at the stunned crowd. “I am Richard Lazarus. I am 76 years old and I am reborn!”

He raised his hands triumphantly as the crowd applauded wildly and the photographers snapped photos even faster than before. On the side, by the chamber, the Doctor, Astraea, Adam, Aludra and Martha watched, none of them joining in the applause.

“That can’t be the same guy.” Martha said, shaking her head and watching as Lazarus began posing for photos. “It’s impossible. It must be a trick.”

The Doctor and Astraea looked at the chamber, examining it closely.

“Oh, it’s not a trick.” Aludra said, shaking her head. “But I desperately wish it were.”

“What just happened, then?” Martha asked, looking between each of her friends in confusion.

“He changed what it meant to be human.” Adam said, not tearing his gaze away from Lazarus.

“He’s made himself into a monster.” Aludra said, shuddering slightly and wrapping her arms around herself. Adam wrapped his arm around and she leaned into him, drawing strength from her beloved.

“What do you mean?” Martha asked worriedly.

“I’m not sure, but something about him is setting me on edge.” Aludra said. “What he did isn’t natural in any way, for  _ any _ Race.” She looked at Martha with suddenly ancient sapphire eyes. “Nature will get her revenge before this night is over; Lazarus will get his comeuppance. The only question is, how many people will die before the night ends?”

Martha swallowed reflexively at the grave look on her friend’s face, the first time she had ever seen the witty and sarcastic Welshwoman ever bear such an expression. The faint strains of ‘Claire de Lune’ began playing, startling the small group from their pensive thoughts.

“Sorry, that’s me.” Aludra said, rummaging through her purse and pulling out her mobile. Shifting slightly so that she was partly concealed, she held the mobile to her ear and answered with a crisp, “Jones.”

_ “Sapphire-Bird? It’s Jack.”  _ The distinctly American voice sounded in her ear from the other end said, seeming relieved at the connection being established.

“Cheesecake?” Aludra asked in confusion. “What’s going on? Is everything alright?”

_ “I’m not sure.”  _ He admitted. _ “Are you on Earth?” _

“Yes, I’m in 2008.” She replied, knowing better to give too many details away, even the exact date of her whereabouts. “Why?”

_ “It’s October 2007 for me and we’ve been having strange weather patterns for the past few days.” _ Jack said worriedly.  _ “I’ve also had dreams the past few nights of an incident that had occurred in Lahore 1909, when my men had been killed by suffocation via rose petals.” _

“You think the Mara might have another Chosen One?” Aludra asked, exchanging looks with Astraea, the Doctor and Adam. Martha looked confused but stayed silent, opting to ask questions when those that could answer her weren’t so preoccupied.

_ “Yes.” _

“Truthfully, they don’t inform those of us who stay in the mortal world who the next Chosen One is or when they would need to make their Choice, especially if it’s the first Choice.” Aludra said honestly. She covered the mouthpiece and looked at Astraea, “Do you know if a new Chosen One had made their Choice in October, last year?”

“I don’t know.” Astraea replied, shaking her head. “Since I reawoke as a Time Lady, my connection to the Lost Lands isn’t as strong as it used to be. They can sustain me but that’s as far as it goes. I’d be lucky if I can find my way there without them or you to guide me.”

Aludra nodded in understanding and uncovered the mouthpiece, speaking into it once more. “Nana says she doesn’t know either. But Cheesecake, I’m warning you for your own sake, don’t interfere with them. You know the consequences and exactly what the Mara would do if you try to keep them from taking their Chosen One, especially if the child makes the Choice to go with them.”

_ “I know.” _ Jack said, sighing heavily.  _ “They will plunge the world into an Ice Age worse than the last one and then pluck the child from the timestream.” _

“And that’s if we’re lucky and they’re feeling merciful.” Aludra said seriously. “Just remember what I had told you about what the child’s fate is if they are prevented from making their Choice.”

_ “I remember.” _ Jack said shakily.

“Good.” Aludra said. “Don’t forget.”

If a Chosen One is prevented from making their Choice, be it the first or the second, they will forever feel an emptiness inside that will consume them. They would strive to do whatever it takes to fill that void, regardless of how terrible the deed, until they are stopped, usually by the weapons of law enforcement officers. They never live past their teenage years, they never live to see their 20 th birthday.

Klaxon alarms sounded from Jack’s end and he hurriedly said,  _ “I have to go, my team is coming in. Thanks, Sapphire-Bird.” _

“You're welcome.” Aludra replied. “Bye.”

_ “Bye.” _

Aludra cut the line and let out a small sigh, tucking her mobile back into her purse.

“I hope he doesn’t interfere with the Choice.” Astraea said softly.

“I’m sure he won’t.” Adam said, knowing the Captain personally. “He knows what’s at stake if he does.”

“It’s his team I’m not so sure about.” Aludra admitted, biting her bottom lip. “He recently told me about a new member he had recruited. Gwen Cooper, formerly of Cardiff PD.”

“You’re kidding.” Astraea exclaimed, looking at Aludra in disbelief. “Rhys’ girlfriend Gwen? That Gwen?”

“Mhmm.” Aludra hmmed, nodding worriedly.

“Well, I hope this Captain Cheesecake of yours can keep a tight rein on her.” Astraea muttered.

Adam and the Doctor exchanged looks and just shrugged. Unable to do anything, the two men just wrapped their arms around their fiancée/ girlfriend comfortingly and reassuringly.

Martha watched the two couples for a few seconds before pushing her curiosity aside for the moment, there would be another time to ask questions. She turned her attention to Lazarus who stiffened briefly before grabbing a plate of hors d’oeuvres from a passing waiter and begin eating the food at a rapid pace.

“What’s he doing?” She asked, cocking her head to the side.

“Okay,  _ no one _ likes hors d’oeuvres  _ that _ much.” Adam said, looking at the recently transformed man who was barely pausing between bites or even to chew as he shoved piece after piece of food into his mouth.

“Let’s find out.” The Doctor said, walking towards the man with Astraea and Martha following close behind him.

Aludra, who shuddered minutely at the thought of going near the man that unsettled her so much, stayed back with Adam, the Immortal keeping his arm comfortingly around her. Suddenly, her face took on a decidedly green tinge and her stomach rolled at the scent of the hors d’oeuvres carried by a passing waiter and she spun on her heel, running out of the hall and to the nearest bathroom with her hand clamped over her mouth. She didn’t hear Adam’s worried call behind her, too focused on getting to the bathroom in time.

The trio reached Lazarus just as he defensively explained his behavior to an aghast Lady Thaw, saying, “I’m famished!”

“Energy deficit.” The Doctor recognized, drawing Lazarus and his partner’s attention to the trio. “Always happens with this kind of process.”

“You speak as if you see this every day, Mister…” Lazarus said, trailing off expectantly.

“Doctor.” The Doctor said. “Doctor John Smith. And well, no, not every day. But I have some experience with this kind of process.”

“That’s not possible.” Lazarus refuted, shaking his head.

“Using hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance.” Astraea said challengingly.

“That’s… That’s inspired.” The Doctor remarked.

“You understand the theory, then.” Lazarus commented, staring at the pair in shock.

“Enough to know you couldn’t possibly have allowed for all the variables.” The Doctor said seriously, frowning.

“No experiment is entirely without risk.” Lazarus said dismissively, waving away the concerns and putting another canape in his mouth.

“That chamber and the consoles nearly exploded.” Astraea hissed angrily, her amethyst eyes flashing. “You may as well have stepped into a blender for all the good it did.”

“You’re not qualified to comment.” Lady Thaw said, sneering disdainfully at the couple.

“If my fiancé and I hadn’t stopped it, it would’ve exploded and taken the entire building with it.” Astraea retorted, reiterating what Adam had said earlier.

“Then I thank you, Doctor, Miss.” Lazarus said, nodding to each of them in turn. “But that’s a simple engineering issue. What happened inside the capsule was exactly what was supposed to happen. No more, no less.”

“You’ve no way of knowing that until you’ve run proper tests.” Martha interjected.

“Look at me!” Lazarus said, chuckling. “You can see what happened. I’m all the proof you need.”

“The device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially.” Lady Thaw added in an effort to reassure the trio.

“Commercially?!” Martha and Astraea repeated in unison, looking at the elderly woman in shock.

“You  _ are _ joking.” Martha continued while Astraea stared in shock. “That’ll cause chaos.”

“Not chaos.” Lazarus said calmly, making them look at him. “Change. A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve.”

 “How do you expect humanity to ‘evolve’, as you put it, if you keep resetting them to what they were?” Astraea challenged. “That’ll only lead to  _ de _ -evolving.”

“This isn’t about improving or evolving.” The Doctor snapped, frowning in realization. “This is about you and your customers living a little longer.”

“Not a  _ little _ longer, Doctor, a  _ lot _ longer.” Lazarus said smugly. “Perhaps indefinitely.”

“Richard, we have things to discuss.” Lady Thaw said suddenly. She shot a cold look at the Doctor and Astraea adding, “Upstairs.” She turned and stalked off.

“Goodbye Doctor, Miss.” Lazarus said, strutting past the trio before stopping and spinning around to look at them. “In a few years, you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were.”

He held his hand out to Martha and she took it. To her surprise, and mild disgust, he turned her hand and pressed a light kiss to the back of it before spinning on his heel and leaving. His gait was once again a strut, clearly thinking he had conquered a force of nature and believing there would be no reprisals.

“He has no idea what he’s done.” Astraea said softly, shaking her head worriedly. “He has no idea what awaits him. Remember what Aludra said: Nature will take her revenge.”

“So what do we do now?” Martha asked, pushing aside her worry and focusing on what could be done to at least fix the mess they were finding themselves in.

“Now… well this building is full of laboratories.” The Doctor remarked thoughtfully. “I say we do our own tests.”

“Lucky I’ve just collected a DNA sample, then?” Martha said, lifting her hand up pointedly.

“Oh, Martha Jones, you are a star.” Astraea said, grinning brightly at the younger woman.

“Let’s go find Adam and Aludra.” The Doctor said, leading the two women through the mingling crowd. Martha kept her hands in front of her, her free hand curled protectively around the one that contained the DNA sample.

They found Adam and Aludra exactly where they had left them, by the chamber. However, Aludra was sitting on a chair, leaning forward slightly and sipping water from a bottle while Adam rubbed her back.

“What happened?” Astraea asked worriedly, dropping to her knees in front of her daughter.

“We don’t know.” Adam replied, shaking his head. “Right after you left to speak with Lazarus, she ran to the bathroom and then spent several minutes just puking.”

“Could you have eaten something that didn’t agree with you?” Martha asked Aludra, crouching next to the young woman’s chair.

“No, I don’t think it’s that.” Aludra replied quietly, shaking her head. “I haven’t eaten any of the hors d’oeuvres tonight, just the scent of them makes my stomach roll. In fact, it was the scent of them that had me running to the loo in the first place.”

Martha and Adam frowned at that, a small seed of suspicion nagging at them.

“Are you okay now?” The Doctor asked worriedly.

“Yeah.” Aludra said, nodding. “I had some mints from my purse that helped with the nausea and I’ve been drinking water as well.”

The Doctor nodded in understanding. He was still worried but trusted his daughter to say when she wasn’t feeling well. And if she didn’t, the TARDIS would inform them if something was wrong, as would the monitoring features that were imbedded in her pendant necklace that hung around her neck, the pendant itself still tucked into her blouse.

“What did you find out when you spoke with Lazarus?” Aludra asked.

“Well, he’s an arrogant bastard.” Astraea replied bluntly.

“He has no idea of the damage he’s done and is completely deaf to any suggestions to get tested to make sure everything is as it should be.” The Doctor explained.

“So, what are we going to do?” Adam asked, inadvertently reiterating Martha’s earlier question.

“We’re going to run some tests of our own.” Martha replied. She held up her hand that contained the sample. “And I’ve collected a DNA sample.”

Adam and Aludra looked at the medical student’s lofty yet smug expression and laughed lightly.

“Well, the closest DNA testing laboratory is on the second floor.” Aludra said, her laughter fading as she got to her feet. “This way.”

She led the small group towards the lift, Adam keeping a steady arm around her waist just in case; she had experienced a mild dizzy spell once she stopped puking. The mingling guests they slipped through paid them no mind, none having even noticed that the young Welshwoman had been sick for several moments while the servers, upon noticing that she looked better and was being looked after, turned their attention back to their duties for the evening.

Getting onto the lift, Adam pressed the button for the required floor and the door closed. They ascended seconds later, and everyone was silent, the only sound being from Aludra as she continued sipping her water. The silence was broken only a few seconds later when the lift bell dinged, and the doors opened. Aludra got off, followed by the rest, and she looked at the Laboratory Listings that was posted in front of the lift.

“This way.” She said once she found the one she wanted, turning left and heading down the hall.

Reaching the laboratory, the Doctor used his screwdriver to unlock the doors and let them all in. He walked up to the nearest computer terminal and switched it on while Adam and Aludra set up the testing equipment and Astraea swabbed Martha’s hand.

“Ready?” Astraea asked, looking at the Doctor, Adam and Aludra.

“Yeah.” Adam replied.

“Yep.” The Doctor said, pulling out his glasses and slipping them on.

Astraea carefully cleaned the swab onto a testing plate and placed it onto the scanner. She turned to the computer and watched as the DNA strands appeared on the screen, the others crowding around the table to look as well.

“Amazing.” The Doctor and Astraea murmured in unison, staring at the screen. Neither were certain if they should be impressed or horrified, though they were leaning more towards the latter.

“What?” Martha asked, confused.

“Lazarus’s DNA.” Aludra said in realization, seeing what her parents saw.

“I don’t see anything different.” Martha said, shaking her head.

“Me neither.” Adam agreed.

“Look at it!” The Doctor insisted, pointing at the computer.

The DNA helix on the screen flickered for a brief second before reverting back to the normal sequence.

“Oh my, God!” Martha exclaimed in shock. “Did that just change?”

The Doctor, Aludra and Astraea just nodded in response.

“It can’t have!” Adam exclaimed in disbelief.

“It did,  _ Cariad _ .” Aludra said gravely.

“It’s impossible.” Martha argued faintly.

“That brings the impossibility count to two tonight.” Adam pointed out, far more adept at accepting the impossible considering how old he was and everything he had seen in the last 5000 years.

“Don’t you love it when that happens?” The Doctor asked, grinning delightedly.

“At the moment, not so much.” Adam said cynically.

“That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns.” Martha said before the Doctor could retort.

“Hypersonic sound waves to destabilize the cell structure.” Astraea started.

“Then a mutagenic program to manipulate the coding in the protein strands.” The Doctor continued.

Martha, Aludra and Adam looked at the pair with raised eyebrows, each only understanding roughly half of what was said, the  _ first _ half.

“You lost me.” Adam said flatly.

“Me, too.” Aludra said.

“Me, three.” Martha added.

“Basically, he hacked into his own genes.” Astraea explained.

“And instructed them to rejuvenate.” The Doctor finished.

“Would it kill you to have just said that in the beginning?” Adam asked exasperatedly.

“Hold on, they’re still mutating, though.” Aludra said with a frown, looking back at the screen and seeing the strands fluctuate again.

“It’s because he missed something.” Astraea said. “Something in his DNA has been activated.”

“It won’t let him stabilize.” The Doctor continued. “Something that’s trying to change  _ him _ .”

“Not something, Ada.” Aludra said heavily. “ _ Nature _ .”

“But  _ what _ is Nature changing him into?” Adam asked.

“I don’t know.” The Doctor admitted.

“But whatever it is, we need to find out.” Astraea said. “Fast.”

“That woman, Lady Thaw, said they were going upstairs.” Martha said.

“Let’s go.” The Doctor said, darting around the table and heading to the door.

The rest followed behind him, Aludra and Astraea grabbing their purses from the table where they had left them. Picking up their pace into a near run, they slipped into the nearest lift and began their ascent upwards, the few minutes the trip took spent in complete silence once again.

The bell dinged merrily, and the doors opened, not into a hallway but into a large, tastefully designed office. The Doctor found the lights and switched them on, bathing the room in an artificial yet rather soft light.

“Well, this is definitely his office.” Adam said dryly, looking around.

“Wow, it’s bigger than our dual-flat on the Estate had been.” Aludra remarked.

“So, where is he?” The Doctor asked with a frown.

“Don’t know.” Martha replied softly. “Let’s try back at the re…ception.” She trailed off with a frown, catching sight of something on the ground.

Following her gaze, they found a set of shriveled legs sticking out from behind the desk, the feet encased in black designer high heels.

“Oh, my Gods!” Astraea exclaimed, eyes widening in shock as they ran to the desk and knelt by the gnarled corpse.

“Is that Lady Thaw?” Martha asked, looking at the equally shriveled up face and body of the corpse.

Aludra gagged involuntarily when she saw the decayed features and stayed back, fanning the air in front of her face with her clutch, lest the scent that permeated the body caused her to throw up again. Instead, she picked up the glass that had fallen to the ground with her free hand and sniffed it gingerly.

 “Based on the dress, this used to be.” Astraea said, gesturing to the black designer dress with her clutch.

“The glass had whisky in it, nothing unusual.” Aludra said. She glanced at the shelf a short distance from the desk, seeing the tumbler and glasses on a tray. “Probably from the tumbler that’s on the shelf over there.” She turned back to the others. “Definitely not a cause for mummification.”

“Mummification takes decades.” Adam pointed out. “Not less than an hour.”

“This isn’t a mummy.” Astraea said, shaking her head. “It’s just a shell.”

“Had all the life energy drained out.” The Doctor added. “Like squeezing the juice out of an orange.”

“Ada! Did you have to mention oranges?” Aludra exclaimed exasperatedly. “I like oranges. Now I won’t be able to even look at one without thinking of dried up, mummified corpses.”

“Sorry, honey.” The Doctor said, glancing up at her apologetically.

“Lazarus!” Martha exclaimed in a whisper, realization and suspicion warring on her features.

“Could be.” The Doctor said.

“So, he’s changed already.” Martha concluded.

“I don’t think so.” Adam said, shaking his head thoughtfully. “For one thing, if he had, we’d be hearing the screams from wherever he is no matter how many floors there are between us and secondly, the DNA sample was fluctuating.”

“He’s right.” Astraea said. “The process must demand energy.”

“You mean, this might not have been enough?” Aludra asked in alarm, her skin managing to take on a green tinge as well as pale significantly at the implications of her question.

“No.” The Doctor replied quietly.

“So, he might do this  _ again _ ?” Martha asked in confirmation, her eyes wide in horror.

The Doctor nodded and they shot to their feet, running for the lifts. Adam reached first and frantically pressed the button until one arrived and the five of them piled inside. The Doctor pressed the button for the reception hall and the doors closed with a merry ding.

The few minutes in the lift during the trip down was spent restlessly, all of them fidgeting and watching the floor indicator. The bell dinged and the doors opened, all of them darting out and heading towards the hall at a pace that was just below a run. They quickly began scanning the crowd, looking for Lazarus, the string quartet playing soft music in the background.

“I can’t see him.” Martha said, spinning in a slow circle.

“He can’t be far.” The Doctor said reasonably. “Keep looking.”

Adam and the Doctor took advantage of their greater heights and scanned the crowd. The two men headed off in one direction before splitting up while the three women stayed within hearing distance of each other, Astraea keeping a close eye on her daughter; she had noticed Aludra’s uncharacteristic reaction to Lady Thaw’s corpse and was concerned by it.

“Hey, you all right, Marth?” Leo called to his sister when he caught sight of her, drawing her attention to him. Martha stopped in front of him, though she continued scanning the crowd apprehensively, listening to her brother with only half an ear. “I think Mum wants to talk to you.”

“Have you seen Professor Lazarus anywhere, Leo?” Astraea interjected before Martha could respond, stopping next to the siblings with Aludra a few feet away.

“Yeah, well, he was getting cozy with Tish a couple of minutes ago.” Leo replied thoughtfully; his voice was filled with the trademark note of all younger brothers when they plan on picking on their siblings.

“With Tish?” Martha repeated in alarm just as the Doctor and Adam doubled back and joined them.

“Ah, Doctor.” Mrs. Jones said, joining them upon noticing the Time Lord.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Jones, but we must find Tish.” Aludra said, stepping forward and smoothly preventing her father from likely setting the protective woman off more than he already had. “We have reason to believe that she may be in danger. Can either of you tell us where she went?”

“Upstairs, I think.” Leo replied, his eyes narrowed in worry and suspicion. “Why?”

“What’s going on?” Mrs. Jones asked, an expression similar to her son’s on her face.

“Come on!” The Doctor said, grabbing Astraea’s free hand and running past the fierce woman, accidentally causing her drink to spill over her dress.

“Doct-!” Mrs. Jones exclaimed to their retreating backs as Martha and Adam raced past her.

“There’s no time to explain right now.” Aludra said grimly, hoping the urgency of the situation would be enough to convince the woman to back down, at least for the time being. She had a feeling that Francine Jones’ temper could rival Jackie Tyler’s when it came to protecting her children. If so, then the Doctor better be careful or he was in for a right slap.

Aludra turned and raced past the older woman, quickly catching up with the others just as the lift arrived. They piled in and the door closed behind them, the Doctor frantically pressed the button for Lazarus’ office floor.

“ _ Anwyll,  _ repeatedly pressing the button will not make the lift go any faster.” Astraea said exasperatedly when the Doctor continued pressing the button even after they began their ascent.

The Doctor let out a frustrated breath but stepped back, instead wrapping his arms around Astraea’s waist.

“Thank you.” Aludra said, rubbing her temples tiredly. The sound of her father’s repeated button-pressing had been starting to grate on her nerves.

“Are you okay?” Adam asked, looking down at her worriedly.

“Yeah, just out of sorts for some reason.” Aludra replied. “I probably just need proper sleep; we  _ have _ been travelling nearly non-stop for almost a week.”

Adam nodded in acceptance but shot her a worried look from the corner of his eye, making a note to make sure she got some rest as soon as they sorted out the current mess they were in.

The bell dinged and the small group burst out of the doors, barely waiting for them to open completely.

“Where are they?” Martha asked frantically, looking about the deserted office.

“Fluctuating DNA’ll give off an energy signature.” The Doctor said rapidly, pulling out his screwdriver. “I might be able to pick it up.” He scanned the room intently, moving in a slow circle. “Got him.”

“Where?” Martha asked frantically. The screwdriver began beeping insistently when it was pointed upwards at the ceiling. “But this is the top floor!”

“The roof!” Adam and Aludra called in unison, running to the stairwell and slipping inside.

The five of them raced up the stairs, Astraea and Aludra holding their sarees up over their knees with one hand while holding their purses in the other. Reaching the roof access door, they slipped out onto the roof to find Tish and Lazarus standing close to each other, facing northwest towards the general area of Southwark Cathedral.

“…nothing’s ever exactly like you expect.” Lazarus was saying to Tish. “There’s always something to surprise you. ‘Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act…’”

“‘Falls the shadow’.” The Doctor and Astraea said in unison, drawing Lazarus and Tish’s attention to them.

“So, the beautiful lab assistant and the mysterious Doctor know their Eliot.” Lazarus said, smiling almost ingratiatingly. “I’m impressed.”

“Martha, what are you doing here?” Tish hissed, ignoring the strangers to focus on her older sister.

“Tish, get away from him!” Martha ordered firmly instead of responding to the question.

“What? Don’t tell me what to do.” Tish argued.

“I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry, Lazarus.” The Doctor commented.

“Yes, what with you being busy defying the laws of nature and everything.” Astraea added.

Both ignored the bickering sisters with ease of practice; nothing like having seven children and ten grandchildren to make one particularly adept at ignoring the bickering and squabbling that always seemed to occur between siblings.

“You're right, Doctor, Miss.” Lazarus said, looking between the couple and also ignoring the bickering. “One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more I'll get done in two or three? Or four?”

“It doesn’t work like that.” Adam spoke up, shaking his head; his beautiful multi-colored eyes suddenly looking so much older than his youthful face.

“I would have thought that a man who can quote Eliot at the drop of a hat might also be familiar with Roald Dahl.” Aludra pointed out rather scathingly. “Minusland notwithstanding, de-aging oneself by going against the laws of Nature has disastrous consequences.”

“They’re right.” The Doctor agreed. “Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80.”

“It’s not the  _ time _ that matters, Professor.” Astraea said. “It’s the  _ person _ .”

“But if it’s the  _ right _ person, what a gift that would be.” Lazarus remarked almost wistfully.

“Or what a curse.” Adam said softly, his voice carrying an echo of a long and painful past. Aludra reached out and took his hand in her, squeezing gently. “Look at what you’ve done to yourself.”

“Who are you to judge me?” Lazarus asked coldly, glaring at the Immortal.

“And on that note, Ms. Jones, if you would humor us for a few moments and step over here, please?” Aludra said diplomatically as though inviting the younger Jones sibling to take tea with them.

Tish looked taken aback at the sudden 180 Aludra’s tone had taken from the previously scathing repartee she had exchanged with Lazarus. She hesitated for a brief second before joining them, Martha breathing a sigh of relief once Tish was safe.

“What the hell’s going on with you lot?” Tish asked, a glare firmly etched on her face.

“Well…” Aludra began, alternating between looking at Tish and at Lazarus who was spasming, his face contorting in pain. “Considering we recently found Lady Thaw’s mummified corpse in Professor Lazarus’ office, we weren’t all too keen to see you be next on the-”

“Ooh, that looks like it hurts.” Adam said, inadvertently cutting Aludra off.

Tish, Martha and Aludra turned to see what he was talking about and found Lazarus on the floor. His body was contorting in remarkably painful ways, a low growl escaping his throat as his form changed completely. By the time the transformation ended, his body from the neck down was that of a deformed yet massive scorpion while his face still bore its human-like features.

In Aludra’s opinion, he looked like a massive zombie scorpion with a humanesque face and an expanded rib cage, plus a few elements of the Racnoss thrown in for good measure.

“If you don’t mind my saying Ms. Jones, I think you can do so much better.” Adam said conversationally, glancing at Tish.

“What is that?” She asked numbly, her mouth hanging open slightly and her eyes wide in shock.

The monstrous form Lazarus took reared up, as though ready to attack.

“RUN!” The Doctor shouted.

They raced inside, the Doctor sonicking the door locked behind them while Adam pocketed Astraea and Aludra’s purses as he ran to the lifts with the four women.

“Are you okay?” Martha asked as the Doctor caught up to them.

“I was gonna snog him.” Tish breathed, staring at the wall in horrified disbelief.

“Head of the department and a giant spider.” Aludra remarked dryly.

“Yeah, you’d be surprised how often that happens.” Astraea remarked, nodding in agreement.

“Okay, one of these days, you have got to tell me your deal is with giant spiders ‘cause you keep bringing them up.” Martha said, looking at the sapphire-eyed Welshwoman incredulously.

“Well, I think this one’s more like a giant  _ scorpion _ .” The Doctor pointed out.

“Spider, zombie scorpion, it doesn’t matter. He’s still homicidal with  _ way _ too many pincers.” Adam said cynically. “The rest is just details.”

Before the Doctor could respond, Lazarus banged on the roof access door in an effort to get through, triggering the building’s automated security response. The lights flickered and sirens began blaring through the building.

_ “Security One. Security One. Security One.” _ The computerized voice announced, piercing through the sirens.

“What’s happening?” Martha asked as the lights went out completely.

“Uh… an intrusion.” Tish replied, pushing her horror aside in favor of focusing on the task at hand. “It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts, seals the exits.”

“He must be breaking through the door.” Adam said, looking in the general direction of the roof access door.

“The stairs, come on!” The Doctor shouted, turning and running down the stairs.

One after another, the women using the railing to keep from tripping over their dresses and their heels, they raced down the stairs as fast as they could.

They had just reached the second flight of stairs when a crash sounded above them, flowed by an angry growl.

“He’s inside!” Aludra shouted, turning on the landing and racing down the next flight of stairs.

“We haven’t got much time!” The Doctor shouted, not breaking his stride.

“Oh, screw it!” Aludra exclaimed, climbing onto the banister.

She neatly slid down the rail, bypassing the stairs entirely since the railings for each flight were connected by a curved bar. The others followed suit, evidently deciding that sacrificing dignity for speed was much more beneficial at the moment, spurred on by the sounds of crashing above them.

Reaching the ground floor, they all hopped off the banisters and resumed running, not stopping until they reentered the reception hall.

“Adam, what exits did you find?” Aludra asked, skidding to a stop and turning to look at him.

“The closest one is in the corner.” Adam replied, pointing to the door in question.

“But it’ll be locked now.” Tish pointed out, panting heavily. After everything she had just seen, the man knowing where the exits are wasn’t that high on her list of things to be surprised about or to question.

“Aludra!” The Doctor called, tossing her the screwdriver. “Setting 54, hurry!”

Aludra caught the screwdriver and began fiddling with it, tuning it to the required setting while running towards the exit with Martha and Tish.

“Adam, go with the girls.” Astraea said, looking at the Immortal.

Adam nodded and raced off behind the Jones sisters Aludra while the Doctor and Astraea climbed onto the chamber platform.

“Listen to me!” The Doctor shouted, drawing everyone’s attention. “You people are in serious danger!”

“You need to get out of here right now!” Astraea added just as loudly.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” An elegantly dressed woman in an evening gown scoffed snootily. “The biggest danger here is choking on an olive!”

A loud crash echoed through the hall followed by the sound of glass shattering as the mutated Lazarus appeared on the mezzanine directly above the reception hall.

“Oh, yes, that definitely looks like an olive.” Adam said dryly, looking up at the massive mutated scorpion.

Lazarus reared up and roared, jumping over the banister and landing on a table, crushing it under his weight.

Panic ensued, the crowd screaming and running in every direction while Aludra frantically tried to unlock the doors. Standing firm against the panic guests pushing her in their attempts to force the door open, she managed to open the doors and let the panicked people through.

“Over here!” Martha shouted, ushering the guests through. “This way!”

“Everyone downstairs, now!” Aludra shouted. “Stick together!”

“Hurry!” Adam shouted, helping a few guests that had fallen back to their feet and through the doors. “Quickly, now!”

Lazarus advanced on one of the guests, the previously snooty woman who was now frozen in terror. He reared up, opening his jaws sideways and brought his tail around, pointing it at her.

“No!” The Doctor shouted helplessly. “Get away from her!”

Astraea, who had been helping several of the guests to their feet and pushing them towards the door, ran forwards, letting her Vortex energy swirl along her arms and gather in her palms.

“He said ‘get away from her’!” Astraea growled, slipping in front of the frozen woman and hurling two fist-sized orbs of the swirling energy at the mutated man.

The force of the blast sent Lazarus skidding backwards several feet until he regained his purchase against the tiled floors. Unfortunately, that put him right by Mrs. Jones and Leo, the matriarch crouched beside her son and helping him sit up after he was hit by one of the tables.

Seeing the creature approach them, Mrs. Jones wrapped her arms protectively around Leo and curled herself over him.

“Lazarus!” The Doctor shouted, making the monster turn around to face him. “Leave them alone!”

Martha ran to her family, skidding to her knees beside Leo. Aludra and Adam were nearby, ready to provide a distraction so that the humans could get away.

“Martha.” Mrs. Jones breathed in relief at seeing her eldest child.

“Come on, stay with me.” Martha said, she and Mrs. Jones helping Leo to his feet. “You’re okay.”

“What's the point?” The Doctor asked scathingly. “You can't control it.”

“The mutation is too strong.” Astraea added, standing a few feet away from her fiancé and making Lazarus turn to look at her. “And killing these innocent people won't help you.”

“You’re a fool, Lazarus!” Aludra added, slipping past the Jones family and standing a few feet away from her father. “You’re a vain, old man who arrogantly believed he could defy Nature’s laws.”

“Only, Nature got her own back, didn’t she?” Adam added, part mocking and part smug. “You’re a joke, Lazarus!”

“A footnote in the history of failure!” The Doctor shouted scornfully, turning the man’s own words against him.

He and Astraea spun on their heels and ran out of the room, Lazarus hot on their heels. Aludra and Adam ran back to Martha and her family, Adam helping Leo up and supporting his weight.

“What are the Doctor and Miss. Seren doing?” Tish asked, running up to them after seeing most of the guests outside.

“They’re trying to buy us some time.” Adam replied, adjusting his hold on Leo.

“Let’s not waste it.” Martha said briskly, reaching out and cupping her brother’s face, making him look at her. “Leo, look at me. Focus on me.” She said firmly. “Let me see your eyes.” She looked at her mother and sister. “He’s got a concussion. Mum, you’ll need to help him downstairs.”

“I’ll help you.” Adam said, already supporting most of Leo’s weight and Mrs. Jones nodded.

“Here.” Aludra said, holding out a napkin filled with ice from the ice bucket that previously held the champagne. She had gotten it as soon as Martha declared that Leo had a concussion. “It should help with the swelling.”

“Thanks.” Martha said, smiling at her as Mrs. Jones took the napkin and held it to Leo’s head. “Go! We’ll be right behind you.” Adam and Mrs. Jones began helping Leo down the stairs with Tish behind them, going slowly so they didn’t falter under the dazed man’s weight. Martha turned to Aludra, seeing the younger woman glance back in the general direction the Doctor and Astraea had gone in. “Aludra, move! We need to get out of here.”

She gently pushed the younger woman down the stairs ahead of her, bringing up the rear.

~*~

With the Doctor and Astraea

The Doctor and Astraea ran through the lower levels of the building and into the basement, Lazarus thundering behind them. They both quietly climbed onto the shelves and snuck behind the pipes and the control panels that lined the stone walls.

“It’s no good Doctor, Miss.” Lazarus rasped, his voice echoing along the metal pipes. “You can’t stop me.”

“Would that be the same arrogance you had when you swore nothing had gone wrong with your device?” Astraea asked, staying concealed behind the pipes.

“The arrogance is yours.” Lazarus refuted. “You can’t stand in the way of progress.”

“You call feeding on innocent people ‘progress’?” The Doctor asked incredulously.

“Wow, you’re beyond delusional!” Astraea exclaimed.

“It is a necessary sacrifice!” Lazarus said firmly.

“That’s not your decision to make.” The Doctor said.

~*~

With Aludra, Adam and Martha

Martha and Aludra ran down the stairs behind Mrs. Jones, Adam, Leo and Tish, reaching the rest of the partygoers piling against the glass doors. They were all screaming and crying in fear, slapping the doors in an attempt to open them.

“We can’t get out!” Tish cried, knowing the building better than any of the guests. “We’re trapped!”

“There must be an override switch in case of emergencies.” Adam said practically.

“You’re right!” Aludra said before turning to Tish. “Where’s the security desk?”

Tish looked at the crowd, seeming to have not heard the question.

“Tish!” Martha shouted, snapping the younger woman out of her daze.

“There!” Tish shouted, pointed at a lone desk off to the side between two pillars.

Martha and Aludra ran to the desk, sliding neatly over the top and landing on the other side. Aludra set the screwdriver to a different setting and ran it over the control panel. Within seconds, the lights flickered on and the doors opened, the panicked crowd streaming out without a glance back.

~*~

With the Doctor and Astraea

The lights flared on above them without warning.

“Peek-a-boo!” Lazarus growled.

The Doctor and Astraea followed the sound, looking up to see Lazarus hanging from the ceiling.

“Oh. Hello.” The Doctor said quietly, reaching behind his back and grabbing Astraea’s hand.

He spun on his heel and ran out through the nearest door, Astraea holding her skirt up and matching his pace beside him.

~*~

With Aludra, Adam and Martha

“Adam, we’ve got to go back.” Aludra said as soon as the last of the guests exited the building.

“Yeah.” Adam agreed with a nod, letting go of Leo completely once the younger man was able to stand on his own.

“You can’t!” Mrs. Jones cried, rounding on the ‘youngsters’. She was not blind to the way Martha stood with Adam and Aludra, the way her daughter held herself so strongly and determinedly, so different from only a few days earlier. “You saw what that thing did! It’ll kill you!”

“We can’t just leave them, Mum!” Martha cried.

“It’s that Doctor and his fiancée, isn’t it?” Mrs. Jones asked in a tone so similar to the one Jackie Tyler had used so long ago – filled with a mix of contempt for the stranger drawing her child into danger and fear for the child’s life. She looked at her daughter worriedly. “That’s what’s happened to you. That’s why you’ve changed.”

“He was buying us time, you guys.” Tish said softly, torn between her understanding of her mother’s feelings and her sister’s. “Time for you three to get out, too.”

“They’re family.” Aludra said simply, looking at the Jones’ with a gentle smile on her face. “You never turn your back on family.”

“They’re my family as well.” Adam added, wrapping his arm around Aludra’s waist.

“Dr. Pierson, young lady, there’s nothing I can do to stop either of you, but you will do well to not drag my daughter into your madness!” Mrs. Jones hissed, rounding on the couple.

“Mum, I’m right here!” Martha exclaimed exasperatedly.

“You know, your mother has a point.” Adam said honestly, looking at Martha. “It’s probably safer if you stayed here.”

In all honesty, Francine Jones terrified the oldest Immortal just as much as Jackie Tyler once did. He also didn’t want the bright young woman to get hurt, she  _ was _ still human, after all.

Martha whipped around and glared at him fiercely, a single eyebrow raised. Adam gulped and ducked behind Aludra, somehow managing to fold his 6’ plus frame behind her much smaller 5’1 figure.

“I tried, Mrs. Jones.” He squeaked, peeking out over Aludra’s shoulder to look at the frightening Jones matriarch.

“Yes, my love, you did try.” Aludra said placatingly, patting his hand. “But you  _ ever _ try something like that with me and you’ll be sleeping on the jump seat.” She said, her tone remaining sweet but with an undercurrent of warning that had Adam gulping once more.

“Yes, dear.” He squeaked meekly, straightening up from his crouch. He looked at Mrs. Jones, shrugging helplessly. “Sorry Mrs. Jones, I’m more terrified of my girlfriend than I am of you and your daughter.”

Mrs. Jones just looked at him, torn between amusement at the way the tiny Welshwoman handled him and the worry that still filled her at the thought of the danger her daughter was willingly throwing herself into. Behind her, Leo and Tish were laughing, their hands clamped over their mouths to prevent the sound from escaping and struggling to remain upright.

“I’m sorry Mum, but we’re not leaving anyone behind.” Martha said firmly. “Come on Adam, Siwan, let’s go monster hunting.”

Tish and Leo’s laughter stopped abruptly at their sister’s declaration and they watched helplessly as Martha spun on her heel and ran back up the grand staircase with Aludra and Adam beside her.

“Martha!” Mrs. Jones yelled helplessly to their retreating backs.

~*~

With the Doctor and Astraea

The Doctor and Astraea ran into a laboratory, closing the double doors behind them. Astraea spun around and watched the door, her hands glowing as a small orb of golden energy swirled in each palm while the Doctor looked around frantically, taking note of what was available. He jumped on top of a benche and began fiddling with the light fixture mounted on the wall, taking the fitting apart and manipulating the wires.

A crash echoed from behind the closed doors, the sound not too far off. The Doctor glanced at the door briefly before returning to his task, working faster. He jumped off the bench and turned on the Bunsen burner closest to him and Astraea, who realized what he was planning, pulled a tube off a gas fitting just as another crash echoed in the corridor.

The couple ducked behind the bench, the Doctor curling his arms protectively around his Soul Bonded as they both peeked out over the table.

“More hide and seek, Doctor, Miss?” Lazarus mocked. The Doctor looked at Astraea and pointed to the Bunsen burner switches and she nodded in understanding. “How disappointing. Why don't you come out and face me?”

The couple reached out and turned on as many of the burners they could, filling the room with odorless and colorless gas. They crawled behind another bench, switching the burners on in the process as another crash echoed through the room.

“Have you looked in the mirror lately?” The Doctor asked cheekily, he and Astraea getting to their feet and facing the door just as Lazarus barged through. “Why would we want to face  _ that _ , hmm?”

Lazarus growled low in his throat, the expression on his transformed face akin to a glare.

“I think you just pissed him off even more than before.” Astraea said conversationally.

“Yeah, I think so too.” The Doctor admitted, not taking his eyes off of Lazarus.

Without warning, the couple ran back towards the door, ducking Lazarus’ pincers and striking limbs with remarkable efficiency, Astraea not at all hindered by the confines of her saree or her heels. The Doctor hit the light switch as they slipped through the doors, causing the laboratory to explode with a massive KaBOOM. The force of the explosion sent the couple falling to the ground as the heat of the flames scorched their backs, the Doctor on top of Astraea and curled around her protectively.

As soon as the heat rescinded slightly, they got to their feet and ran down the hall away from the laboratory. They crossed the mezzanine at a dead run, turning the corner and running straight into Martha, Adam and Aludra.

“What are you three doing here?” The Doctor demanded to know.

“You are supposed to be outside with everyone else!” Astraea added.

“We’re returning this!” Aludra said brightly, holding up the screwdriver. Her relief at seeing her parents alive and well was clear across her fair features. “We thought you and Ada might need it, especially since Ada can’t do anything without it.”

“How did you…?” The Doctor asked breathlessly, taking the screwdriver and pocketing. For the moment, he opted to ignore the quip about him.

“You blew something up.” Adam said dryly. “How’d you think?”

“We blasted Lazarus.” Astraea confirmed.

“Did you kill him?” Martha asked.

A load roar echoed through the corridor; the sound combined with thunderous footsteps heralded Lazarus’ rapid approach towards their position.

“More sort of annoyed him, I'd say.” The Doctor replied, retaking Astraea’s hand.

They resumed running down the corridor, the Doctor and Astraea in the lead with Martha directly behind them and Adam and Aludra bringing up the rear. Behind them, Lazarus crashed through the glass barriers that made up the mezzanine, hot on their heels.

They ran to the nearest stairwell and slid down the railing, once again sacrificing dignity for speed. Reaching the bottom floor, they raced back to the reception hall, now completely abandoned with all the guests and staff outside.

“What now?” Martha asked, barely managing to keep her panic at bay. “We’ve just gone around in a circle!”

“We can’t lead him outside!” Astraea shouted, running to the chamber and wrenching the door open. “Come on, get in!”

“We won’t all fit!” Aludra pointed out, looking around the room as the Doctor ushered Martha into the chamber.

Adam grabbed Aludra’s hand and pulled her towards the computer consoles. As soon as they ducked out of sight behind the metal tables, Astraea climbed into the chamber herself and the Doctor closed it.

“Are we hiding?” Martha asked in a whisper,, she and Astraea pressed close against the Doctor’s chest.

“No, he knows we’re here.” The Doctor replied, hearing Lazarus scuttling just outside the chamber door.

“But this is his masterpiece.” Astraea said. “He won’t destroy it, not even to get at us. I’m sure of it.”

“But we’re trapped!” Martha exclaimed fearfully.

“Well, yeah, that is a slight problem.” The Doctor said sheepishly.

“You mean, neither of you have a plan?” Martha asked incredulously, looking between the couple with raised eyebrows.

“Yes. The plan was to get inside here.” The Doctor said defensively.

“Then what?” Martha snapped.

“Well, then we’d come up with another plan.” The Doctor said, his mind racing a million times a minute.

“In your own time, then.” Martha said, eyeing the door and hearing Lazarus scuttling around and growling just outside. The Doctor fidgeted, reaching into his jacket pocket. “Hey!” Martha exclaimed when his arm pressed against her throat.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry!” The Doctor said apologetically, pulling the screwdriver out. “Here we are.”

“What are you going to do with that?” Martha asked, eyeing the device with confusion.

“Improvise.” Astraea said, sliding down into a squat on the floor.

Martha grimaced as the Doctor squatted down as well, the already cramped quarters becoming even more so. Astraea pried open a panel in the floor revealing the tangled mess of brightly colored wires.

“I still don't understand where that thing came from. Is it alien?” Martha asked, pressing both her hands against the side of the wall to keep her balance while the Doctor and Astraea worked on the wiring by her feet.

“No, it’s strictly human in origin.” Astraea said, pulling a wire out and plugging it in on the other side of the panel.

“For once.” The Doctor muttered, flashing his screwdriver at the wire Astraea was holding up.

“ _ Human _ ?” Martha repeated in surprise. “How can it be  _ human _ ?”

“Probably from dormant genes in Lazarus’ DNA.” Astraea speculated. “The energy field in this chamber must have reactivated them.”

“And it looks like they're becoming dominant.” The Doctor added.

“So, it’s a throwback.” Martha breathed in realization.

“Some option that evolution rejected for you millions of years ago, but the potential is still there.” The Doctor said.

“Locked away in human genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake.” Astraea added.

“It’s like Pandora’s Box.” Martha remarked.

“Exactly.” The Doctor said. He glanced at her purple pumps, sensible yet elegant. “Nice shoes, by the way.”

A whirring sound filled the chamber followed by a bright blue light.

“Doctor, Astraea, what’s happening?” Martha asked worriedly.

“It sounds like he’s switched the machine on.” Astraea replied, the wires tangled around her fingers.

“And that’s not good, is it?” Martha asked, only half rhetorical.

“Well, we were hoping it would take him a bit longer to work that out.” The Doctor admitted, frantically flashing his screwdriver at the wires in Astraea’s hand.

“I don’t want to hurry either of you, but…” Martha trailed off, panic clear in her voice as the light brightened.

“I know, I know!” The Doctor cried. “We’re nearly done!”

“Well, what're you doing?” Martha asked loudly, her voice bordering on a panic-filled shout.

“We’re trying to set the capsule to reflect energy rather than receive it.” Astraea explained hurriedly, neither she nor the Doctor pausing their frantic work.

“Will that kill him?” Martha asked.

“When he transforms, he's three times his size. Cellular triplication. So, he's spreading himself thin.” The Doctor replied rapidly.

“We’re going to end up like him!” Martha cried, not understanding the explanation that didn’t answer her question.

“Just one more!” Astraea said as the Doctor plugged the last wire into place. She pulled the small lever in the corner of the panel causing a high-pitched whine to resonate through the air.

A bright wave of silvery-blue energy blasted out from the chamber, throwing Lazarus backwards several feet. The machine stopped whirring, the claws slowly coming to a stop as well. The Doctor opened the door and stepped out, holding his hand out to Astraea and helping her out as well just as Adam and Aludra emerged from their hiding spot; the metal tables had protected them from the force and effects of the wave.

“Thank the Gods you’re all right.” Astraea breathed in relief, she and the Doctor pulling Adam and Aludra into a tight hug.

“I thought we were going to go through the blender then.” Martha breathed, looking a bit green as she put a hand to her rolling stomach.

“It really shouldn’t take that long just to reverse the polarity.” The Doctor muttered pulling away from Adam and Aludra and eyeing the chamber.

“You must be out of practice.” Aludra chirped cheekily.

“There was a time when you could do it in half the time it took you today.” Astraea added playfully.

Martha looked at the three of them incredulously, wondering what they were going on about.

“You get used to that.” Adam said helpfully, seeing the look on the pretty young woman’s face.

Martha looked at him for a moment before shaking her head, deciding that it was probably better for her sanity to not ask. She turned and stepped towards Lazarus, the man lying still with his eyes closed, completely naked.

“He seems so… human again.” She commented quietly, drawing the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra’s attention to him.

“Eliot saw that too.” Adam remarked quietly. “‘This is the way the world ends.’”

“‘Not with a bang, but a whimper.’” Aludra finished, resting her head against Adam’s chest with one hand on her stomach.

They stepped back as the paramedics entered and went straight to Lazarus after giving a cursory look at the quartet,  seeing them largely unharmed. The pair wrapped Lazarus in a body bag and loaded him onto a stretcher before carrying him outside, their movements quick and efficient as they had been trained.

The Doctor, Astraea, Adam, Aludra and Martha followed the paramedics out, the two men with their arms around their beloveds. They were quiet, the weight of what they had witnessed heavy on their hearts and minds. Aludra’s prediction had been right: Nature got her own back and too many people had died in the process. The Doctor and Adam undid their bowties and unbuttoned the first buttons of their shirts, watching the paramedics load Lazarus into the waiting ambulance.

“She’s here.” A voice called in relief, drawing them out of their thoughts. They looked up to see Tish running up to them, drawing Martha into a hug as soon as she was in reach. “Oh, she’s all right.”

“Ah, Mrs. Jones.” The Doctor said cheerfully, seeing the woman storm towards them and completely oblivious to the furious expression on her face. “We still haven't finished our chat.”

The bright grin he was sporting faded as the furious woman delivered a sharp slap across his face.

“Keep away from my daughter.” She hissed, her dark eyes flashing with fury.

Adam clamped his hands over his mouth to keep his laughter from escaping and drawing the furious woman’s ire while Aludra just sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Always the mothers, isn’t it?” Astraea remarked in amusement, successfully holding back the urge to smile and cupping his reddening cheek. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she couldn’t help but find it funny that her fiancé got slapped by yet another Companion’s mother/ mother-figure.

“Every time.” The Doctor muttered, leaning into Astraea’s hand. The touch was soothing, cool against the hot skin of his bruised cheek.

“And Aunt Donna, can’t forget Aunt Donna.” Aludra pipped up helpfully, grinning at her father.

“Nor your fiancée.” Adam added, unable to hold back his chuckles any longer.

“You two are not helping.” The Doctor said, looking thoroughly peeved.

“It is funny, though.” Adam said.

“Mum, what are you doing?” Martha asked warningly, turning to face her mother and at the same time preventing the older woman from delivering a similar slap to the rest of the small family.

“They are dangerous.” Mrs. Jones said, looking at her daughter and gesturing in the general direction of the Doctor and Astraea. “I’ve been told things.”

“What are you talking about?” Martha asked, shaking her head in confusion. She knew her mother was over-protective, anyone would after having been through what Francine Jones had been through, but this was something else entirely.

“Look around you.” Mrs. Jones said, waving at the chaos that surrounded them. “Nothing but death and destruction.”

“This isn’t their fault.” Martha argued as the ambulance left with Lazarus body in the truck. “They saved us! All of us!”

“And it was Tish who invited everyone to this thing in the first place.” Leo pointed out. “I’d say technically, it’s her fault.”

Tish rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the stomach but didn’t argue. Aludra shot Leo a grateful look and he gave a small smile back in response; he had noticed the worried look on Aludra’s face at the accusation aimed at her sister’s fiancé after the couple had done everything they could to save everyone, risking their own lives in the process.

Before Mrs. Jones could round on her son or Martha could continue in defense of her friends, a crash echoed from down the street. Turning to the sound, the Doctor, Astraea, Aludra and Adam glanced back at Martha for a moment before running off to investigate, the two women holding their sarees up over their knees.

They stopped abruptly at the ambulance where the crash had originated from, Martha catching up and stopping right behind them. The doors had been blown apart and the paramedics where nothing more than decayed corpses just like Lady Thaw and all the other victims had been.

“Lazarus, back from the dead.” The Doctor breathed, shaking his head sadly. He took his screwdriver out and began scanning for the fluctuating DNA once again.

“We should’ve known that was too easy.” Adam commented dryly.

“Where’s he gone?” Martha asked as Tish ran up to them.

The younger woman looked at the decayed corpses in horror, her face taking on a slightly green tinge. Her gaze was drawn away from the husks to the Doctor who completed a slow circle and looked at the building his screwdriver was aimed at.

“That way.” The Time Lord said, the blue tip glowing merrily. “The church.”

“Cathedral.” Adam and Tish corrected in unison.

“It’s Southwark Cathedral.” Tish continued as everyone looked at her. Martha had her eyebrow raised, wondering how her sister would know that. “He told me.” Tish explained, seeing her sister’s expression.

The Doctor and Astraea didn’t probe any further, instead leading the way into the looming cathedral in front of them. They walked quietly, inching forward slowly with the Doctor holding his screwdriver in front of him as he continued the scan.

“Do you think he’s in here?” Martha asked quietly.

“Where would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?” Adam countered, his eyes becoming haunted for a brief moment as his memories threatened to overtake him. Aludra reached out and took his hand, her mere touch enough to ground him in the present when his mind threatened to drown him in the past.

Tish opened her mouth to say something when Martha took her arm and shook her head, silently telling the younger woman to stay quiet. Tish shot her a confused look but closed her mouth, opting to obey rather than argue; she didn’t know that Martha had recognized the haunted look in Adam’s eyes as the one the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra often had, the one that could only be combated by one another as it was a pain only they could understand.

They continued inching up the aisle between the pews, pale silvery moonlight beaming in through the large windows. Their footsteps echoed in the silence, the only other sound being the Doctor’s screwdriver as he led the group up the nave and to the altar where they found Lazarus.

The man was shivering, crouched behind the altar and covered only by the red shock blanket from the ambulance. Hearing their approach, he turned his head slowly and looked at them all.

“I came here before.” He began quietly, his voice hoarse. “A lifetime ago. I thought I was going to die then. In fact, I was  _ sure _ of it.” The Doctor and Astraea continued walking forward and stopped in front of Lazarus, watching him. “I sat here… just a child. The sound of planes and bombs outside.”

“The Blitz.” Adam said, recognizing the event Lazarus was talking about. He stood in front of Aludra, keeping his beloved out of Lazarus’ sight.

“You’ve read about it.” Lazarus said, nodding at the assumption.

“We were there.” Astraea said, gesturing to herself, the Doctor and Adam.

“You three are too young.” Lazarus scoffed.

“So are you.” Adam pointed out.

Lazarus looked at him for a moment and then started to laugh. The laugh stopped abruptly as his body began making painful cracking sounds causing him to pant for breath and gag as though something was trying to force itself up through his throat.

“In the morning, the fires had died.” Lazarus continued after several seconds, panting heavily. The Doctor, Astraea, Aludra and Adam eyed their surroundings, glancing up at the bell tower as they listened while Tish and Martha watched Lazarus with pity. “But I was still alive. I swore I'd never face death like that again. So defenseless. I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it.”

“That is what you were trying to do today?” Aludra asked, leaning around Adam to look at the shivering man crouched behind the altar.

“That is what I  _ did _ do today!” Lazarus snapped, whipping around to glare at her. However, the effect was ruined when he gasped in pain, gagging uncontrollably.

“What about the other people who died?” Astraea asked with a frown.

“They were nothing.” Lazarus spat dismissively. “I changed the course of history.”

“Any of them might have done too.” The Doctor argued. “You think history's only made with equations?”

“Facing death is part of being human.” Astraea said gently. “You can't change that.”

“No, Doctor, Miss.” Lazarus said, glaring at them both. “ _ Avoiding  _ death, that’s being human.  It's our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fiber of being. I'm only doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I've simply been more successful.” He gasped, arching backwards as his bones cracked painfully.

“Successful?” Adam repeated incredulously as Lazarus panted for breath, small whimpers escaping his lips as his body continued contorting in painful ways. “Look at yourself! You’re mutating into Gods only know what! You have no control over it, how is that success?”

“I call it progress.” Lazarus gasped, his face contorted with pain. “I'm more now that I was. More than just an ordinary human.”

“There’s no such thing as an ordinary human.” Aludra said passionately, the faint memories of her parents’ teachings during her childhood filtering to the forefront of her mind.

Lazarus groaned, arching backward and whimpering in pain.

“He’s going to change again any minute.” Martha whispered.

“We know.” The Doctor replied in a whisper. “If we could get him up into the bell tower somehow, I have an idea that might work.”

“Up there?” Martha asked, looking up at the tower above them.

The Doctor and Adam nodded, both men having come up with the same idea.

“You’re so sentimental, Doctor, Miss. Even you, Dr. Pierson.” Lazarus said once he had stopped gagging. He eyed them, sweat pouring down his face from the exertion his body was experiencing. “Maybe you three  _ are _ older than you look.”

“I’m old enough to know that a longer life isn’t always a better one.” Adam said softly. “In the end, you just get tired. Tired of the struggle. Tired of losing everyone that matters to you.” Aludra took his hand squeezed it sympathetically, a similar look of understanding on Astraea’s face as she glanced at him briefly before turning back to Lazarus. “Tired of watching everything… turn to dust.”

“If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you'll end up alone.” The Doctor said, squatting beside Lazarus.

“That’s a price worth paying.” Lazarus said.

“Is it?” Astraea asked.

Lazarus looked at the three of them for a moment before groaning in pain, his body arching once again. He gasped as the pain coursed through him in wave after wave, unending and unrelenting.

“I will feed soon.” He said with a gasp, briefly able to control the pain though his face was contorted as the mutation grew stronger with every passing second.

“We’re not going to let that happen.” The Doctor said firmly, shaking his head.

“You haven’t been able to stop me so far.” Lazarus pointed out, smirking at him.

“Leave them, Lazarus.” Martha cut in suddenly. Lazarus whipped around to look at her. “They’re old and bitter.”

“I thought you had a taste for fresher meat.” Aludra added, her voice a mix of taunting and innocent.

“Martha, Aludra, no!” The Doctor said warningly.

It was too late though. Lazarus launched himself at Martha and Aludra without warning. The two women spun on their heels and raced out of the room, Tish running with them. Astraea glanced at the Doctor and Adam before racing after them, Lazarus hot on her heels.

“What are you doing?!” Martha asked, seeing Tish quickly catch up and then keep pace with them.

“Keeping you out of trouble!” Tish replied.

“Ada! The tower!” Aludra shouted over her shoulder. “Adam!”

“You are going to be so grounded when this is over, missy!” Astraea yelled, glancing at Aludra as she ushered the three younger women into the stairwell.

“Looking forward to it!” Aludra sassed, running up the narrow spiral stairs with Martha, Tish and Astraea keeping pace with her.

A loud contorted wail, filled with agony, echoed behind them.

“Did you hear that?” Tish asked, stopping and looking behind them.

Martha, Astraea and Aludra stopped as well and looked back in the direction they came. The wail slowly changed to a roar, the stone building carrying the sound up to the women.

“He’s changed again.” Astraea said. “We need to keep moving.”

She turned and began running up the stairs, Martha and Aludra directly behind her. Tish stared at her sister’s back for a moment before shaking her head and running behind them, Lazarus’ growls getting closer.

“What’s his plan?” Tish asked, panting.

“For once, I have no idea.” Astraea replied, shrugging.

“Astraea!” The Doctor shouted before Tish could respond.

“Aludra!” Adam yelled.

Astraea, Aludra, Martha and Tish skidded to a stop in the clerestory at the sound of the Doctor and Adam’s shouts. Astraea and Aludra each looked out from an arched passageway to see the two men in the transept, directly beneath the central tower.

“ _ Annwyll! _ ” Astraea shouted, making the Doctor and Adam spin around to look at her.

“Where do we lead him?” Aludra asked, shouting so her voice could be heard.

“Take him to the top!” The Doctor shouted. “The very top of the bell tower! Do you hear me?”

“Up to the top.” Astraea replied, nodding in understanding.

“Uh, Martha?” Tish said slowly. “Miss. Seren?”

“And then what?” Aludra asked.

“Martha, come on!” Tish shouted, grabbing her sister.

 Martha turned around and screamed, prompting Astraea and Aludra to turn as well.

“Run!” Astraea shouted, spinning on her heel and running, the other three women close behind her.

Lazarus crashed along behind them, growling low in his throat. The four women narrowly avoided his pincers each time he brought them down.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Astraea pulled the door open and sent the younger women through before following behind them. Spinning on her heel as golden energy swirled along her arms and hands, she faced the door. Letting the energy form in her palms for several seconds before thrusting her hands out towards the door, she created a shimmering golden shield in the doorway just as Lazarus reached the top of the stairs. Watching the Time Lady with wide eyes, Martha and Tish gripped the railing and panted heavily, completely out of breath. Surprisingly, Aludra was also panting.

_ “ Cariad _ ?” Astraea asked, looking at her daughter in concern without breaking her concentration that kept the shield in place. Aludra shouldn’t be panting the way she was, especially not now that she had made her Choice; even if she had still been fully human, she shouldn’t be so winded due to their lifetime of sports and athletics that gave them a higher advantage over others.

“I’m all right, Nana.” Aludra said reassuringly, a hand pressed to her stomach.

Astraea looked at her with a frown but didn’t pry further, trusting her daughter to know her own body.

“There’s nowhere else to go!” Tish cried, she, Martha and Aludra using the railing to propel themselves forward as they ran around the mezzanine. Lazarus roared, slamming against the shield repeatedly. “We’re trapped!”

“This is where Ada said to bring him.” Aludra said.

“So then we’re not trapped; we’re bait!” Tish cried in a panic.

“He knows what he is doing.” Astraea said calmly, a small frown on her face at the effort it took to keep the shield in place.

“We have to trust him!” Martha said frantically, her mind racing and her eyes darting in every direction trying to find a way for her to send Tish to safety.

With a mighty roar, Lazarus slammed through the shield, sending a shower of golden particles into the air. Astraea stumbled backwards into the railing, her concentration broken and panting heavily from the amount of energy she had exerted.

“Nana!” Aludra cried, she and Martha grabbing her arms before she could fall over the railing.

“I’m okay.” Astraea said weakly as Martha and Aludra helped her to the other side of the mezzanine. “I haven’t done that in a  _ very _ long time.”

“Ladies!” Lazarus growled.

“Stay behind me.” Martha said, moving protectively in front of Tish. Astraea mirrored the movement and stood in front of Aludra, glaring fiercely at Lazarus.

“Oh, if there was ever a time for me to be able to use my own powers, it would be now.” Aludra moaned in frustration.

Despite having the power of the Mara, she wasn’t able to actively use it the way Astraea was able to use the Vortex. None of them really knew why. All they could do was continue to encourage Aludra to keep practicing and trying to channel it.

“Girls, if he takes me, I want you three to make a run for it.” Astraea said, not looking away from Lazarus. “You should be able to get to the door to go back downstairs.”

“But…” Tish began to argue.

“Do not argue with me.” Astraea said firmly, cutting her off and using a tone that Tish and Martha clearly recognized as the ‘mum’ voice.

Lazarus suddenly lunged forward, swiping his tail at them. The four of them ducked, Tish screaming as the second swipe just barely missed her. He growled and swiped at them again, this time managing to separate them with Astraea and Tish on one side while Martha and Aludra were on the other.

“Please, just a few more.” Astraea muttered, forming an orb of swirling energy in her palm.

Lazarus made another swipe with his tail, aiming at Martha and Aludra. The two women ducked, making the tail hit the section of the railing behind them which shattered under the force of the blow.

“Oh, not my daughter, you son of a bitch.” Astraea hissed shooting to her feet. Tish watched with wide eyes as the golden energy swirled brightly along the woman’s arms and in her hands. “Lazarus!” Astraea shouted, making the mutated man turn to her just as organ notes began filling the air. “Stay away from my babies!” She shouted, throwing two fist-sized, glowing golden orbs at the mutant.

Lazarus stumbled backwards briefly before quickly regaining his bearings. He advanced on Astraea, all but ignoring Tish in his fury and growling menacingly. Tish, seeing him occupied, darted around the mezzanine to Martha and Aludra, helping the two women to their feet.

Lazarus swiped at Astraea, managing to hit her in the side of the head with his tail. She screamed, losing her footing on the walkway and tumbling over the edge.

“Nana!” Aludra shouted in alarm.

“Astraea!” Martha shouted, reaching out and grabbing Aludra, keeping her in place.

Lazarus loomed over Astraea with his tail raised, the tip pointed directly at her. Astraea couldn’t fire another energy orb at him, all her focus kept on keeping her grip on the bottom of the walkway.

“Get away from her!” Tish screamed.

Lazarus swiped his tail at Astraea and she ducked it as best she could, one hand losing hold on the walkway in the process. She gritted her teeth in effort, trying to grab hold on the walkway, or even the railing post, but couldn’t; Lazarus’ continued swipes at her kept her from grabbing hold of the walkway and the railing post was just out of reach.

Suddenly, the organ notes began reverberating loudly through the church, causing Lazarus to screech in pain and rear back away from Astraea who was completely unaffected by the noise. She gritted her teeth, trying to keep hold of the walkway but was quickly losing her grip. Martha and Tish clamped their hands over their ears, the sound too loud for their hearing to bear while Aludra, unaffected just like her mother, took the opportunity to run towards the older woman. She grabbed Astraea’s hand just as Lazarus stumbled over the edge and fell down to the cathedral below with an almighty crash.

The sound of the organ stopped abruptly, Aludra and Astraea’s screams as they began losing their grip on each other the only sound that filled the air.

“We’ve got you.” Tish said, grabbing one of Astraea’s arms while Martha grabbed the other just as Aludra lost her grip completely.

“Astraea!” The Doctor and Adam shouted fearfully in unison, recognizing the sound of the screams. “Aludra!”

“We’re okay!” Aludra shouted as Martha and Tish pulled Astraea to safety. “We’re all right!”

“Thank you.” Astraea said gratefully, getting to her feet and looking at Martha and Tish.

“It’s what friends do.” Tish said with a smile, waving away the gratitude and standing up as well.

“And besides, with how many times you’ve saved my life, it’s my turn to save yours.” Martha added, grinning.

Astraea laughed and shook her head in a classic move that was common among all mothers – fond and exasperated at the same time. She wrapped her arms around Aludra in a tight hug while Martha pulled Tish in an equally tight hug, relief pouring off all of them in waves.

“It’s your doctors you should be thanking.” Tish said, pulling away from Martha slightly looking at Astraea and Aludra.

“Told you Ada’d think of something.” Aludra said smugly.

“Cutting it a bit fine there, didn’t he?” Tish asked, the adrenalin giving way to euphoric bliss at the realization that they were safe.

“Ada always does that.” Aludra said matter-of-factly, leaning into Astraea’s embrace as they climbed back down the stairs.

“It’s more fun that way.” Martha added, grinning brightly.

Tish frowned softly, several things not adding up with everything that had occurred over the past few hours, from the ease Martha displayed when around the beautiful strangers to the comments she had just made. For a brief moment, she considered asking just who the Doctor, Astraea and Aludra were, even who Adam was, but decided against it, at the least moment. There would be plenty of time to question Martha later, time when the strangers weren’t in hearing range.

As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Astraea and Aludra ran out just as the Doctor and Adam ran towards them from the other direction. The four of them met in the middle and swept each other into a tight, group hug, each one reveling in the feel of the other’s survival.

Martha and Tish stood in the doorway of the stairwell, watching the reunion with small smiles on their faces.

“Martha, who are they?” Tish asked quietly after several seconds of just watching the small family hug.

Slowly, they pulled apart from their group hug, unaware of their audience. Instead, the Doctor pulled Astraea into a deep kiss while Adam did the same with Aludra, each one pouring all the love and relief they felt into their actions.

“They’re… the Doctor and Astraea.” Martha replied simply. “And the other two are Adam and Aludra.”

Before Tish could probe further, the Doctor and Astraea pulled apart from their kiss as did Adam and Aludra. The Doctor hugged Martha tightly for a brief moment before letting her go and stepping back, wrapping his arm around Astraea’s waist.

“I didn’t know you could play.” Martha remarked as Tish joined them. “Either of you.”

“If you call  _ that _ playing.” Astraea joked playfully.

“You hang around Beethoven, you’re bound to pick up a few things.” Adam pointed out with a grin.

“Hmm, especially about playing  _ loud _ .” Aludra remarked dryly.

“Sorry?” The Doctor asked, leaning forward slightly and inclining his head towards her as though he hadn’t heard what she said.

Adam, Astraea, Aludra, Martha and Tish laughed, the sound filling with air harmoniously.

~*~

Later that night, the Doctor, Astraea, Aludra and Adam were with Martha in her flat.

“Man, I am exhausted.” Aludra groaned, rubbing her back and leaning against Adam. “I need a hot bath and sleep.”

“Tell me about it.” Astraea agreed as the Doctor unlocked the TARDIS. “Just another thing that escalated without any warning.”

Both women had their heels hanging off their wrists by the straps, having wasted no time in removing the shoes as soon as they reached the flat. Martha too had removed her own shoes, kicking them in the general direction of the sofa.

“I can see a pattern developing.” Martha commented lightly, a small, sad smile on her face. “You all should take more care in the future. And the past. And whatever other time period you find yourself in.”

“It’s good fun though, isn’t it?” The Doctor asked with a bright grin.

“Yeah.” Martha replied, nodding.

“So, what d’you say… one more trip?” The Doctor asked, still grinning.

Aludra looked at Martha with a hopeful expression, wanting her parents to have someone, a friend, on board with them while they travelled. Especially during the times when she stayed on Earth with Adam.

“No.” Martha said, shaking her head. The Doctor and Aludra’s grins faded while Astraea and Adam had knowing smiles on their faces. “Sorry.”

“What do you mean?” The Doctor asked with a frown. “I thought you liked it?”

“I do.” Martha said quickly, not wanting any of them to get the wrong idea. “But I can’t go on like this. ‘One more trip’.”

“It’s not fair to her  _ Anwyll _ .” Astraea added, nodding in agreement.

“What are you talking about?” The Doctor asked, still completely confused.

“She doesn’t want to be just a passenger anymore.” Adam clarified.

“Someone taken along for a treat like we did with the kids when they were young.” Astraea added. They had often used the travelling as a reward for good behaviour when their children had been young, taking them if they passed their exams or managed to keep their rooms clean for at least a month and so on.

“If that’s how you see me, I’d rather stay here.” Martha said, shrugging.

The Doctor was silent for a moment, pondering on what they had all said.

“Okay, then.” He said finally, nodding. “If that’s what you want.”

“Right.” Martha said briskly, misunderstanding his response. “But we've already said goodbye once today. It's probably best if you four just go.” She turned and walked away from the TARDIS and the beautiful strangers that blazed into her life without warning, keeping her back to them as she picked up her shoes from where they had landed between the TV and the sofa. Realizing that there was no sign of the TARDIS’ telltale wheezing or even any conversation behind her, she turned around. Adam, Aludra and Astraea were grinning brightly while the Doctor just stood where he was. “What is it?”

“What? I said ‘Okay’.” The Doctor said, looking confused about her reaction.

“Sorry?” Martha asked with a frown.

“Okay.” The Doctor repeated, nodding towards the TARDIS door.

“Oh, thank you!” Martha squealed, running up to him and hugging him tightly. She let go of him and hugged Astraea with just as much vigor, laughing delightedly. “Thank you!”

“Well, if what Aludra’s told me about your adventures are anything to go by, you were never really  _ just _ a passenger.” Adam remarked with a grin.

“No, you weren’t.” The Doctor agreed with a laugh, holding the door open for everyone to enter. 

“You’re quickly becoming part of our patchwork family.” Aludra said brightly, all but skipping to the jump seat. Adam sat down first and then pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist to steady her.

“And on that note, is Martha your aunt or your sister?” Astraea asked Aludra with a grin as Martha looked at her curiously.

“I’m not sure.” Aludra replied honestly, tilting her head to the side and looking at Martha curiously. “But I’ll let you know when I decide.”

“Can’t wait.” Martha said, laughing lightly.

This family, this patchwork family, that had lost so much was healing, slowly but surely. Martha Jones didn’t know it, but far in the future and on the distant planet of New Earth,  _ she  _ had been the one to lay the groundwork for them to heal just by making them talk to her, even if it had been to remember the good times they had so long ago.

_ Links: _

_ *Astraea/ Aludra saree (Astraea – pink with blue blouse/ Aludra – red with blue blouse) - _ [ _ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/474566879474185335 _ ](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/474566879474185335/sent/?sender=474567016892633194&invite_code=404e61d8a06f43b7a0bea897bde58050)

_*Astraea hair -_   [ _ https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879470277957/ _ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879470277957/)

_*Astraea/ Aludra bindi (Astraea – pink/ Aludra - red) -_   [ _ https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478515737/ _ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478515737/)

_ *Astraea jewelry (Astraea – pink and white/ Aludra - red and white) - _ [ _ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/474566879471399597/ _ ](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/474566879471399597/)

_*Astraea shoes (pink) -_   [ _ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/474566879474211077/ _ ](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/474566879474211077/)

_*Astraea/ Aludra purse (Astraea – silver with pink crystals on the flap/ Aludra – silver with red crystals on the flap) -_   [ _ https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879480715501/ _ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879480715501/)

_*Aludra hairstyle -_   [ _ https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879482949640/ _ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879482949640/)

_*Aludra shoes (red) -_   [ _ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/474566879474891409/ _ ](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/474566879474891409/)


End file.
